The different sides of Rolde can be seen on the signposted “Rolder Es” walking route, at the visitor centre with its landscape exhibition, and in distinctive landmarks from the village’s history. The route passes through the Drenthe countryside between Rolde and Balloo. In the village, the Jacobus Church, the Het Dorp van Bartje local history museum and other historic sites tell of different aspects of the region. When planning your trip, you can decide whether walking, landscape or cultural history should be the main focus.
Walking and understanding the landscape
The signposted Rolder Es walking route is 9.5 kilometres long. It passes through the Drenthe countryside between Rolde and Balloo, offering a practical way to explore the area on foot. Its length helps you gauge how much walking to expect. A route description with the marked trail and a landscape exhibition offer two different ways to learn: outdoors on the route, and at the visitor centre, where you can discover how the landscape was formed.
Huis van de Drentsche Aa, home to the Drentsche Aa National Park visitor centre, is located on the edge of Rolde near Deurze. Its permanent exhibition explains how the stream-valley landscape was formed, how people have influenced it, and which plants and animals live there. Hiking and cycling routes are also available at the Huis, and activities are regularly organised there. If you would like to plan around a particular activity, check the date in advance, as offerings and schedules may change.
Church and local history
The present-day Jacobus Church dates from the first quarter of the 15th century. Its features include tall Gothic windows. According to tradition, the history of the church site goes back further: an early wooden church is said to have been built there as early as the 9th or 10th century. The present church and the uncertain dating of the earlier building therefore represent two different historical periods.
The pointed tower also has a place in local tradition: for centuries, it served as a landmark for travellers. The Het Dorp van Bartje local history museum offers a different focus. It features a reconstructed, fully furnished old Drenthe farmhouse, a school dating from 1930, a sod hut and changing exhibitions on the history of Rolde. The exhibits thus cover a range of subjects, from a farmhouse and a school to the local history presented in rotating displays.
Monuments and distinctive local landmarks
Molen Van Rolde is the smallest windmill in Drenthe. The megalithic tombs also have some specific differences. D18 is clearly visible from the road when approaching by car and consists of seven capstones and fourteen sidestones. D17 lies a little farther away beside an old tree; eight capstones and fifteen sidestones remain there. The two tombs can thus be distinguished by their recorded stone counts.
Rolde’s Jewish cemetery is also part of its cultural heritage. One of its names is Bet Chajiem, “House of the Living”. The Jacobus Church, the megalithic tombs and the cemetery each reveal different aspects of the village’s history, making them distinct points of interest for a culturally focused trip.
An event in September
Since 1785, the Roldermarkt has been held on the second Tuesday in September at the Grote Brink. If you would like to plan your trip around this date, check the date of that year’s event and the latest event details in advance. This makes the market a specific reason to plan a visit, without assuming that an event will be taking place at other times of the year.
Discover more destinations: Eexterzandvoort, Nieuwediep, Gieten, Vredenheim, Papenvoort, Nijlande, Nooitgedacht, Gieterveen.
For the main travel overview: Aa En Hunze.
