Cycling through the Heart of Drenthe

Drenthe continues to fascinate. As a cyclist you can't get enough of the historic villages and quiet nature. This route takes you through the Heart of Drenthe and through Orvelte and Grolloo. You will also pass Camp Westerbork.

Treetop path
The Heart of Drenthe is more than 5,000 hectares of contiguous nature reserve where you sometimes get the feeling of cycling through the wilderness. You drive through a mosaic of forests, heathlands and whimsical streams. What is especially striking: it is still old-fashioned quiet in Drenthe. In Boswachterij Gieten-Borger you will find the famous Boomkroonpad. During this educational walk through the treetops you will have beautiful views of the wooded area.

Picturesque Orvelte
Orvelte, which is more than a thousand years old, regularly appears on the list of most beautiful Dutch villages. Not without reason: this car-free village is home to many historical sights.

Camp Westerbork
You will pass Camp Westerbork among the spruce and larch trees of the Hooghalen forestry. The former camp site is now a green plain, the old commander's house is one of the few remaining buildings. There is a museum on the grounds. Various films can be seen here, as well as walls of original barracks. Where the railway tracks ended in the camp, you can see the National Monument Camp Westerbork. This compelling monument was designed by a survivor who served in the labor camp, Ralph Prins. A little further from the camp there is a fourteen-meter high lookout tower near junction 58. A beautiful place to admire the impressive surroundings from above.