Nijlande is a small esch village southwest of Rolde. Its character can be understood through its agricultural history, traces of early settlement and varied landscapes. Those who also consider a place’s character when choosing a holiday rental will find a rural setting here with clear historical associations.
The Landscape Around Nijlande
To the west of Nijlande lies the Nijlanderveld, a complex of arable and pastureland stretching as far as the Amer or Deurzerdiep. South of the village is the Nijlanderbroek: this pastureland lies between Eldersloo and the Amerdiep. The Nijlanderesch lies to the east; Kikkertsveen, a peat lake, is also east of Nijlande. These names refer to different landscape types and locations: arable and pastureland to the west, pastureland to the south, and an esch and a peat lake to the east.
Nijlande has always had an agricultural character. The landscape names reflect this local history without treating all the areas as the same: the Nijlanderveld is a complex of arable and pastureland, while the Nijlanderbroek is described as pastureland. The cardinal directions help distinguish the different landscape types around Nijlande.
Early Traces and the Origins of the Village
Concentrations of flint found near Nijlande point to the presence of a hunter-gatherer people of the Hamburg culture, who lived more than 14,000 years ago. This archaeological evidence dates back much further than the presumed founding of the present-day village. It is thought that Nijlande originated in the Late Middle Ages as a kampontginning: farmers from Rolde began cultivating sandy soils on a small scale at the edge of their common land. Together, these two clues tell of different periods in history—very early traces of human presence and later agricultural development.
Agriculture and Historical Connections
Agriculture also shaped Nijlande through its direct ties with Rolde. From 1895, dairy farmers from Nijlande supplied their milk to the Ons Voordeel dairy in Rolde. This is a historical connection to local agriculture, not a statement about present-day production or a visitor attraction. The road also tells the story of how the connection between the villages developed: the road through Nijlande between Rolde and Ekehaar was paved in 1916. Nijlande lies on the main road towards Eldersloo and Ekehaar.
Route and Wider Cultural Landscape
The Roldertorenroute runs via Ekehaar, Nijlande and the Deurzerdiep, returning towards Rolde. In the area around Nijlande, it passes through the Drentsche Aa region in central and northern Drenthe, one of the last largely preserved river valleys in the Netherlands. This brings together the village’s local setting and the wider landscape; the regional context should not be confused with the village itself.
The Drentsche Aa region encompasses an ancient Drenthe cultural landscape of meadows, woods, hedgerows, fields, heathland, juniper thickets, esch villages, dolmens and estates. This variety describes the wider regional setting of the route. When choosing a holiday rental, you can therefore decide whether to focus your stay mainly on the agriculturally shaped esch village of Nijlande or on the broader landscape of the region.
Discover more destinations: Anloo, Nooitgedacht, Vredenheim, Rolde, Eext, Nieuwediep, Papenvoort, Gasselternijveen.
View the broader travel overview: Aa en Hunze.
