The Drenthe of that time

The Drenthe Aa
The starting point of the route is in the center of Assen. From here you can cycle into the Drentsche Aa nature reserve in no time. You cycle all the way from the south of this nature reserve to the edge of the area in the north. Along the way you cycle through beautiful rolling landscapes, along sand drifts, heaths and fens. A wonderful landscape to relax.

Ashes and greens
In the Drentsche Aa you will find some lovely villages. These villages were originally esdorpen and you can still see that today. For example, every village has a green, a place in the middle of the village with oaks or poplars. In the past, these places were used to gather cows and sheep in the morning and in the evening. You will also often find old Saxon farms in these types of villages and an es, a common field that used to be used by the farmers in the villages.

Historic Assen
At the end of the route you will return to Assen, the capital of Drenthe. This city is one of the youngest cities with city rights in the Netherlands. Only in 1809 Assen became a city by order of Lodewijk Napoleon, who had chosen this city as his residence for the summer. Pay a visit to the Brink and admire all the buildings here: the Drents Museum, the Drents Archive and the Abbey Church.

Would you like to know more about the background of this province before you explore this route yourself? Then look here

This route is one of the 31 selected routes for the May Month Bicycle Month 2016. The May Month Bicycle Month has been a major event for recreational cyclists for many years. Every year in the month of May, Route.nl provides cycling enthusiasts with beautiful cycling routes in collaboration with VVV and partners. Curious about the origins of this month for cycling enthusiasts? Then read this article .