Cycling through the beautiful Westerwolde

Ter Wupping

The first kilometers you drive through a wide landscape, occasionally you see small forest plots. Just past the hamlet of Höchte you will see the Onstwedder Holte on your right, a low ridge of hills. Around Ter Wupping you drive through a mosaic of convex fields, hay meadows, bushes and hedgerows. You will also pass through the stream valley of the Ruiten Aa, one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands. In the spring the valley turns yellow because of the many marsh marigolds.

Picturesque Smeared
Smeerling is a hamlet that enjoys a protected village view because of several centuries-old Westerwold farms. In one of these farms you can make a refreshing stopover at Gasterij Natural Smeerling. Further on you will pass the Juffertoren van Onstwedde. Along the Pagediep you drive to the late twentieth century landscaped Vledderbos that borders Stadskanaal.

Juffertoren Onstwedde
In Onstwedde you drive past the Gothic Nicholas Church, which was built around 1500. The Juffertoren, more than 41 meters high, is at least a century and a half older than the church. It looks crooked, but that's an optical illusion. It is one of the two remaining Groningen Juffertorens. The name refers to a lady: that is not a young woman, but a long pine trunk that tapers.