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<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nI visit Drenthe several times a year, partly because I have family there, but also to enjoy nature. The province has three national parks, each with its own character: Drents-Friese Wold, Dwingelderveld and Drentsche Aa. Here you can still walk for hours without seeing a trace of buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Drenthe is more than just nature. It\u2019s also a province where history is everywhere. Think of the dolmens that have been standing for thousands of years, or the Hondsrug, which is a UNESCO Global Geopark<\/a> shaped by glaciers during the Ice Age. Throughout the province you\u2019ll come across traditional farming villages with central greens, where people have lived in harmony with the landscape for centuries. And the stories from World War II, such as those told at Camp Westerbork, leave a deep impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This mix of nature, history and culture makes Drenthe a unique place to visit. In this article, I\u2019ll take you through some of the highlights that show what makes the province so special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you curious about the best places to visit in Drenthe? Here are some highlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll start this list with the most recent place I visited: the Drents-Friese Wold. I stayed in a small house in the middle of the forest while cat-sitting, which was such a great experience. The Drents-Friese Wold is one of three national parks in Drenthe and one of the largest nature reserves in the Netherlands. Part of the park extends into Friesland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the area consists mainly of forest, you\u2019ll also find shifting sands and heathlands that turn beautifully purple in August. It\u2019s an excellent place for both hikers and cyclists, with dozens of routes that guide you along the most scenic spots. Because the park is so large and varied, you can return several times and still discover new trails without repeating the same route.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A great base to explore the Drents-Friese Wold is the village of Diever, also known as the Shakespeare village. Since 1946, Shakespeare plays have been performed every summer in the open-air theater located in the forest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I enjoy wandering through the village itself, with its charming green and old farmhouses typical of Drenthe. If you\u2019d like to go hiking, several circular walking routes start at the \u201cDuck Pond\u201d parking area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One place you won\u2019t soon forget is Camp Westerbork. During World War II, this was the transit camp from which tens of thousands of Jews, Sinti and Roma were deported. At the memorial center, you\u2019ll encounter personal stories and powerful exhibits that give the numbers a human face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The camp itself was largely demolished, but the site is still deeply moving. You\u2019ll find monuments such as the 102,000 stones and the symbolic railroad track. It\u2019s not an easy place to visit, but it\u2019s one of the most significant sights in Drenthe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you think of Drenthe, you think of dolmens, locally known as hunebedden<\/em>. These prehistoric burial monuments are scattered throughout the province and are the oldest archaeological sites in the Netherlands. The largest dolmen, D27, is located in Borger and is almost 23 meters long. At the nearby Hunebedcentrum, you can learn more about how these stones ended up here and what they meant to the people who built them thousands of years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You\u2019ll find these impressive stone structures all over Drenthe. Personally, I found dolmen D53 near Havelte particularly special, as it lies right in the middle of the heathlands. In summer, when the heather is in full bloom, it\u2019s an unforgettable sight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The second national park on this list is Dwingelderveld, a place I love to hike. The park is home to the largest wet heathland in Western Europe. You\u2019ll find vast open plains where the wind has free rein, as well as several sheepfolds. With a bit of luck, you might even come across a shepherd with his flock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Each season gives the area a different character: purple heather in summer, misty mornings in autumn, and frozen pools in winter. There are visitor centers and observation towers where you can get a sweeping view of the landscape. One hike I can highly recommend: near the Forest Lounge in Spier begins one of the most scenic boardwalk trails in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you take a walk through Dwingelderveld, you can hardly miss the large circular structure on the edge of the forest. This is the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope, one of the oldest steerable radio telescopes in the world. It was commissioned in 1956 and played a key role in the early years of radio astronomy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, the telescope is no longer used for major research, but it is operated by amateur astronomers and students. The striking structure in the middle of the landscape is free to visit, and guided tours and activities are regularly organized. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Hondsrug is a unique area that was formed during the Ice Age and is now recognized as a UNESCO Global Geopark. It stretches roughly from the city of Groningen in the north to Coevorden and the Bargerveen near Emmen in the south.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe best things to do in Drenthe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Drents-Friese Wold<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nDiever<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nCamp Westerbork<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Dolmens (hunebedden)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Dwingelderveld<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/a>Radio telescope Dwingeloo<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\nGeopark the Hondsrug<\/h3>\n\n\n\n