Exciting cycling around the village of Norg

This varied cycling tour in the north of Drenthe takes you to unique places. What about the last raised bog area in the Netherlands that you cycle straight through? Of a completely different order, but at least as exciting, is the prison museum that is also on your route. Time to step up!

Dolmen
Your starting point is Norg, a typical Drenthe village with no fewer than five village greens. These used to be open places in a village where cattle were collected, among other things. Nowadays, many village greens have been transformed into green, tree-lined squares. Just before you leave Norg on the south side you pass the De Hoop mill. Take a look at the blades of this mill. This is the only mill in the Netherlands with Bilauwieken. Named after its German designer, Kurt Bilau, this wing shape approximates the airplane wing. And yes, luckily you will also find a dolmen so characteristic of Drenthe on your route. Just before you cycle into Westervelde, the D2 is on the right.

Fochteloërveen
The route goes through beautiful nature reserves between Norg and Veenhuizen. First of all, Norgerholt, one of the oldest forest areas in the Netherlands. You will find a special combination of pedunculate oak and holly. Between junctions 19 and 63 you are in Fochteloërveen. Special, because it is one of the last raised bog areas in the Netherlands. Raised bog is an extremely poor soil type with high acidity and saturated with water. This means that the area has very unique flora and fauna. You will find all kinds of peat moss, berries and carnivorous plants.

Prisoner village Veenhuizen
This village has a history linked to the penitentiaries. Veenhuizen has only been freely accessible since 1981. Before that, in addition to the prisoners, only prison staff and their families were allowed into the village. From 1800 onwards, vagrants and beggars were first housed in one of the asylums. Later they became government work facilities and from the early 1900s prisons. There are now three penitentiaries, including those for long-term prisoners. From the Prison Museum, which is located in one of the old buildings of the asylum, you can take a tour of the prisons in an old criminal bus. The east side of Norg is also definitely worth a visit.