Brown Gold Route

Schoonebeek was first mentioned in 1250. The agricultural character has remained in the hamlets of Oosterse Bos, Middendorp andWestern Bos. The oldest farms in the region can be seen here. In Schoonebeek the most striking 17th century farm is the museum'Zwaantje Hans Stokmanshof\\\'.
Schoonebeek has become best known for its oil. In 1943, oil was discovered in the Schoonebeekerveld. This oil field is the largest onland oil field in NW Europe. Between 1948 and 1996, the Dutch Petroleum Company (NAM) extracted a quarter of the available oil using the Yes Marbles. In 1996, NAM stopped mining. The oil was too tough and viscous for the techniques of the time. Using new techniques, NAM started in 2010 using 15-metre high high-efficiency pumps to again extract oil with a combination of horizontal wells (Yes marbles use vertical wells) and low-pressure steam injection. This requires 73 new wells.

Turf café Zandpol
The peat café is located in a former peat litter factory owned by the Veldkamp family. The peat litter factory was built in 1926. The factory closed in 1980. In the café, machines and various materials are still reminiscent of the time when the factory was in operation. The round brick tower was built in 1945.

Peat litter factory / Narrow Gauge Museum
The building located on the water is the only original peat litter factory in the Netherlands with a narrow-gauge depot. The factory was built in 1910 to process bolster peat. Bolster peat is the top layer of the peat. Bolster peat is used to make peat litter for cultivation and potting soil and for horse stables. Deeper peat is used as burning peat and activated carbon for the (pharmaceutical) industry, for example as a Norit tablet at the Purit factory in Klazienaveen. The peat litter factory was founded by Griendtsveen Turfkruidsel Maatschappij NV in Rotterdam. For a long time this was the largest company in this sector. The Company was founded around 1885 by the Van de Griendt family.
The peat for the factory was first delivered via ships. The peat skippers could get close to the peat bogs via the canals. In the 20th century, peat was delivered using narrow-gauge trains. An extensive narrow-gauge network was constructed with branches and a length of 18 km as far as Germany (Schöningsdorf). The soft surface did not allow heavy material. Narrow gauge with a track gauge of 90 cm was used. In 1983 the activities of the peat litter factory in the Netherlands were terminated. The unique history of the area is explained in the adjacent Industrial Narrow Gauge Museum.

Bargerveen
The raised bog reserve (2028 ha) Bargerveen forms the last large remnant of the Bourtangerveen/Bourtangermoor, which has otherwise been almost completely developed. The Bargerveen consists of three parts: the Amsterdamsche Veld, the Schoonbeekerveld and the Meerstalblok. The topsoil of the Amsterdamsche and Schoonbeekerveld has been excavated. The Meerstalblok has only been partially excavated. Many special plants are found in the Bargerveen, such as Beenbreek, Cranberry, Lavender heath, Spotted reed orchid and many types of peat moss. The area is also known for its many characteristic and rare breeding birds, such as the Red Shrike, Porcelain Grouse, Water Rail, Greylag Goose and Bluethroat. The area is of great importance because of the large population of Adders that occur here. The Smooth Snake is also not rare. The Bargerveen also occupies a special place because of the many species of rare insects, such as the Heather Blue and some dragonfly species. Raised bogs are dependent on rainwater. If drainage accelerates, the peat dries out and the special communities disappear. By retaining water, peat formation can continue unhindered and the most valuable parts are preserved. 

Wilmsboo in Nieuw-Schoonebeek
The current Wilmsboo (2008) is a replica of the 1640 boo that burned down in 2004. With this, Drenthe lost its last original boo. There used to be dozens of boo\\\'s. Boo\\\'s are unique in the Netherlands and only occurred in Southeast Drenthe. Each farm had its own boo. A boo is a cattle hut with a living area with a kitchen for the shepherd or boo lord. A boo was usually made of straw or woven twigs smeared with loam or cow dung.