A walk through the Reestdal

In the Reestdal you can walk carefree through nature and villages. This route takes you through picturesque hamlets and past De Star, an old mill with a story.

The Hearths
After a drink and a bite to eat at Brasserie De Boerderij, you immediately walk into the Haardennen, a nature reserve consisting of heathlands and old drift hills that are overgrown with coniferous and deciduous trees. It is wonderful to walk here in the silence. A little later you walk into the beautiful village of Balkbrug. This village owes its name to a beam that lay under a bridge over the Dedemsvaart.

The Reest
Just past the hamlet of Den Kaat you cross the Reest. This winding river forms the border between Overijssel and Drenthe for a few dozen kilometres. You walk through a small-scale landscape with eye-catching nature. A little further on you come through Den Huizen, an old but particularly beautiful hamlet consisting of four characteristic farms. At Brasserie & Camping Si-Es-An you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the Reestdal.

Mill de Star
Just outside the built-up area of Balkbrug you walk past De Star, a corn mill from 1848. In 1882 the mill was struck by lightning and largely burned down. The mill was restored in the same year, using parts from an old mill from Deventer. Until 1974 the mill stood on the Dedemsvaart canal. A punt could sail into the mill to unload the grain. In 1975 the mill was moved 500 meters to its current location.