Valthermond is best understood through its history as a long canal village and the traces of peat extraction. The cycling route passes several themes from the village’s history; the memorial stone also recalls another side of the place, shaped by war. This gives you a way to choose a focus when planning your stay: settlement history, remembrance or water activities at Waterrijk.
Canal village and settlement history
Valthermond is a long canal village dating from the 19th century, located northeast of Valthe. From 1853 onwards, houses were built between the Noorderhoofdvaart and the Zuiderhoofdvaart for agricultural and peat workers. The village’s development is thus connected to the two types of work that played a role in its origins: agricultural work and peat work. A side canal was dug diagonally from Musselkanaal through the Valtherveen. The settlement, waterways and work therefore represent different facets of the village’s history. If you like getting to know a place through its development, Valthermond offers a connecting thread that runs from the layout of the canal village to the themes of the cycling route.
Cycle through peat history
The Valthermond cycling route passes sights related to peat extraction, inventors, spherical bottles and the dark day of the 1917 peat fire. Its range of themes thus extends from peat work and the history of invention to a devastating event. Valthermond was struck by a major peat fire in 1917. More than ninety houses were destroyed, and several people lost their lives. The fire is a significant point of reference within this selection of themes: it shaped the village through the destruction of many homes and the loss of life. If you plan to follow the route, check its current course beforehand, as route details can change.
Remembrance, monument and art by the canal
The war memorial in Valthermond is a memorial stone made of grey natural stone. It commemorates all fellow citizens who lost their lives in acts of war during the occupation years. Remembrance of the victims of war is therefore also part of the village’s history. The building at Zuiderdiep 279 is a Rijksmonument, meaning a Dutch monument protected by the state. At the preserved section of the Zuiderhoofddiep, the bronze artwork “De Toekomst Scheppen” stands beside a lock dating from 1897. Here, the artwork and historic water-management infrastructure are located side by side. The three themes—remembrance, a protected building and an artwork by the canal—offer different ways to explore the village’s history.
Waterrijk: birdwatching or getting out on the water
Waterrijk Valthermond has a birdwatching hut. Waterrijk also offers opportunities for canoeing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding and water cycling. This lets you choose a different focus when planning your visit: birdwatching or an activity on the water. The activities appeal to different interests, and you do not have to fit both into the same stay. If you plan a specific water activity, check the current options beforehand, as seasonal arrangements can change. Together with the cycling route, these offer two different ways to engage with local themes: through the history of peat extraction and through birdwatching or activity on the water.
Discover more destinations: Drouwenermond, Drouwen, Borger, Odoorn, Valthe, Klijndijk, Eesergroen, Ees
For the overview of the wider area: Borger-Odoorn.
