City Canal, Gasselternijveen and Gieterveen

The village of Stadskanaal originated as a peat colony and over the years developed into a regional centre. More and more buildings were built on the edge of the canal that was constructed in the eighteenth century. After the Second World War, Stadskanaal grew strongly, partly due to the arrival of multinational Philips. Just west of Stadskanaal you will find Gasselternijveen. Farmers from Gasselte settled on the sand ridges along the Hunze in the late Middle Ages. The exploitation of the peat began around 1635. Many canals were dug and shipping developed strongly as a result. After the Second World War, many canals were filled in. There are still a number of skippers' houses in the village that are reminiscent of the old days. The route starts at Best Western Hotel Stadskanaal. The hotel was renovated in July 2013 and has a characteristic, striking building in a quiet area. The hotel distinguishes itself through its friendly and excellent service. There are 41 renovated luxury rooms that are equipped with all amenities: a smart TV with free Wi-Fi, a Dolce Gusto coffee machine and a minibar. We recommend that you stay overnight in this beautiful hotel so that you can use our arrangement with route 135883 and relax in the hotel sauna after your bike ride. From the hotel you leave in a westerly direction to the De Juffer mill. This mill replaces an earlier mill that was built here in 1841. The current mill was built in 1970 after its predecessor was demolished in 1963. The new mill is a round stone tower mill that is used as a corn mill. The mill now grinds on a voluntary basis and also serves as a wedding location. Then you cycle on to the Eendracht mill. This beautiful mill was originally built in 1877 as an octagonal smock mill. After a fire in 1904, the mill was rebuilt as a round stone mill. The mill has a span of almost 20 meters and functioned as a corn mill. The mill was last restored in 2008, when the stone base was renewed and the interior and the roof of the mill were restored. The mill is currently out of operation, which is a shame, because for a mill, standing still often means going backwards.