From Schoonloo to the dolmens

Impressive tree-lined avenues and cobblestone roads that were created at the beginning of the twentieth century: in the forests of Exloo, Gieten and Borger, natural and artificial landscape elements alternate rapidly. You can discover more than fifty different types of trees and shrubs if you pay close attention, and sundew and peat moss grow around romantic fens. Woodpeckers drum on the tree trunks while owls and badgers become active around dusk. The lucky cyclist just sees a shy deer darting away through the bushes. Adders, moor frogs and the viviparous lizard sunbathe on drier parts of the heath. The lookout tower on the border with the Odoorn forest offers a fantastic view of the sea of trees. Past Exloo, in the middle of the Exloo forest, stands dolmen D30 that once had three capstones, but of which only three are still present. There are still two gate stones, which make it clear where the gate must have been, and in the cellar shards were found of what must once have been more than sixty pots. Burnt human bone remains and an arrowhead were also found. The latter is a find that is extremely special for a dolmen in the Netherlands. Two hundred metres further on you can also see dolmen D29. The two enormous flat capstones in particular are striking. Originally there were probably three. The ring stones are also missing. Through the two clear gate stones you can still clearly see where the entrance to the stone grave was. Dolmen D21 to Dolmen D25 are all very close together. Dolmen D23 is by far the worst off: there is only one capstone left, which is supported by smaller capstones, and one capstone has fallen off the supporting stones. The dolmen is almost unrecognisable as such, but the fact that the other dolmens are so close together does ring a bell.

Hunebed D24 is also in a sad state. The stone grave is slightly larger than its dilapidated brother D23, but because they are so close together, it is still an impressive whole. The smallest of the bunch, and of the whole of the Netherlands, is Hunebed D22. In 1918, the hunebed was subjected to extensive research, during which 41 pieces of pottery were excavated. Finally, on the route you will find hunebed D19, which is close to Hunebed D20. D19 is recognizable because it is larger and lacks a number of capstones. Through the four portal stones that have remained, you can see where the gate was located. More than four hundred finds have been made at this hunebed, ranging from pots to copper strips. These strips are the oldest metal objects ever excavated in the Netherlands.

What is special is that the ring stones of Hunebed D20 have been largely preserved. Fewer earthenware remains were excavated here than at D19, when the two hunebeds were archaeologically investigated. If you want more information about the stone giants, you can go to the National Hunebed Information Centre.