Art and Landscape Route

A varied bike ride, especially in terms of nature. Cycling along the only forest reserve in the province of Groningen, but also along young recreated nature around the Westerwoldse Aa, which has regained its original meandering course. But this border region also has a rich history: a fortress, a medieval hamlet and a witch's mountain. The'public artworks\\\' tell of that history and folk tales during the tour. Introducing Debora Loning is the owner of Parktuin De Entourage. A natural camping site with ten places for a tent, caravan or motorhome, a guesthouse, but also a beautifully landscaped park garden, inspired by the Groningen winding garden. Debora is very actively involved in promoting her'natural\\\' habitat. She also organizes exhibitions in her park garden and was a board member of Museum de Oude Wolden in Bellingwolde for some time. No wonder she has combined nature and art in this route. The route The route starts well, with cycling over a monument. The planting along the J. Buiskoolweg dates from about 1928. Landscape architect Vroom was commissioned at the time to plant the road with ornamental shrubs. Special and for that reason Rijksmonumenten decided in 2001 to declare the entire road a monument. Fort Bourtange, founded in 1580, abolished in 1851 and then rebuilt from 1960 to the situation of 1742, the heyday of the fort. On the main road to the fortress, two'watchmen\\\' by Adrienne Morrien and Marthe Roling and a special relief on the wall of the Willem Lodewijck school. Through a wide area towards Sellingen. Just off the route at junction 16 for the Hasseberg, the highest point in the province, you must have been there! After Sellingen a tour around Ter Borg, possibly already in existence in the Middle Ages, consisting of four farms, three of which have the status of a national monument. The Theater of Nature (1994) underlines the significance of the new nature around Sellingen and is a concept by Adriaan Nette. In 1996, the artist started working on the stairs. From that year on, a new hard stone step has been added almost every year with a text by a guest theater maker. On to Jipsinghuizen. During the job creation in 1924, the trams arrived there with unemployed people who had to cultivate the surrounding heath. The sculpture'De Hel van Jipsinghuizen\\\' is a reminder of that time. At junction 41 you will see Lieftinghsbroek on your right, the only forest reserve in the province of Groningen. After the Metbroekbos, a beautiful nature reserve, you arrive in Vlagtwedde, where the'Monument for Allied Soldiers\\\' (1950) can be found near the church. To then pedal away the last kilometers via Veelerveen past the artwork'Moor\\\' by Frank Sciarone (1997), back to the Entourage. Specially recommended National Monument J. Buiskoolweg The current planting dates from approximately 1928. Landscape architect Vroom was commissioned to plant the road with ornamental shrubs. The purchase of an extensive and expensive range of trees and shrubs was intended to alleviate the crisis in which the Dutch tree nurseries also found themselves at the time. Yew (venine tree), Ilex (holly), Rhododendron, Forsythia (chinese bellflower), Viburnum (snowball), Symphoricarpos (snowberry), Euonymus (cardinal's hat), Philadelphus (sun jasmine) and Deutzia (bridal flower) in eleven kilometers of ornamental planting. Bourtange At the entrance to the reconstructed fortress (Willem Lodewijkstraat) are two guards by Adrienne Morrien, for whom Marthe Roling was the model. On the wall of the Willem Lodewijck School a relief by Klaas van Dijk (1913 - 1990), Dutch sculptor and painter, member of art circle De Ploeg. Hasseberg (at node 16, the highest point in Groningen) The name is said to come from Hasje, an old woman who lured lonely travelers with a fire at night, so that they drowned in the surrounding swamp. In the center of Sellingen is a sculpture of witch Hasje. Ter Borg nature reserve (between 34 and 19) In 1930, a large part of the heathland to the west of Ter Borg was planted with mainly coniferous trees. Within the forest area, now a nature reserve, 35 hectares of heathland have been preserved, making it the largest continuous heathland in the province of Groningen. Theater of Nature (between 33 and 14) It was a temporary object (Adriaan Nette) for a manifestation, but the theater remained. In the stone staircase texts by Kees Stip, Harry Muskee, Jean Pierre Rawie, Rutger Kopland, Hagar Peeters, Jan Mulder and many others. Climb the hill and make up your own story! Hel van Jipsinghuizen (14) In Westerwolde at the beginning of the last century there was still a high moor area that had to be reclaimed. The initiator of the job creation was Jan Buiskool, mayor of Vlagtwedde and Delfzijl and state inspector of employment. The unemployed were taken by tram to Jipsinghuizen to cultivate the heathland in the vicinity of the village, including the Rhederveld. They spent the night in barrack camps. The workers were poorly paid. Many had received an education and were not used to heavy physical work. War Memorial (51) corner Kerkstraat/Schoolstraat The'Monument for Allied Soldiers\\\' from 1950 at the NH church in Vlagtwedde, is a bronze statue of a saluting male figure with a heraldic shield, made by Lidi van Mourik Broekman ( 1917). The monument wants to symbolize'a greeting to eternity\\\'.