True route

Drenthe is rich in natural beauty. This route introduces you to Boswachterij Ruinen and the Dwingelderveld National Park. You will also discover the beautiful villages of Ruinen and Echten.

The Dwingelderveld
Before 1940 Boswachterij Ruinen was still a wasteland of swampy peat, wild heathland and sand drifts. In 1940, coniferous trees were planted here for the Limburg coal mines. You are now cycling through a quiet and fragrant forest. A gem in the already beautiful Drenthe, that's how you can safely call the Dwingelderveld. You cycle through the beating heart: a vast wet heathland with an almost endless, undisturbed horizon. What a silence.

Charming Geldings
In addition to natural beauty, Drenthe also features old thatched Saxon farms and characteristic villages where time sometimes seems to have stood still, such as Ruinen. On the brink you can see the twelfth-century Mariakerk. Part of Echten enjoys a protected village view. There is a manor house that originally dates from the fifteenth century and a beautiful white villa. The route ends at the small-scale and child-friendly Camping Little Switzerland.

Visitor center Dwingelderveld
On the edge of Ruinen you will pass De Zaandplatte, a beautiful thatched flour mill from 1625. This mill was originally located in Echten where it had fallen into serious disrepair. The mill was demolished in 1964 and completely rebuilt at its current location. You will also find the Dwingelderveld Visitor Center here. In the permanent exhibition you can learn all about the origin and management of the valuable heath landscape. A little further on is the Ruiner Schaapskooi, which houses about 300 Drentse Heideschapen. The herd goes out every day. The De Schaapskudde Ruinen site lists the departure and arrival times, a unique experience.