Schoonoord offers several distinct themes to explore side by side: the way of life in Drenthe in times gone by, prehistoric traces and the woodland landscape of Sleenerzand. The specific places and trails give each theme its own form—from a collection of buildings to a megalithic tomb and a walking route. You can tailor your stay to what you would most like to focus on: historic buildings, archaeological traces or a route through the forest.
Open-Air Museum and Megalithic Tomb
The Ellert en Brammert Open-Air Museum in Schoonoord shows how the people of Drenthe lived and made their homes in the past. It comprises 26 sites in total, including a sod hut, a tollhouse, a school and a farmhouse café, as well as a sawmill, a blacksmith’s shop, a Saxon farmhouse with a firehouse and a prison. Other examples include a carpentry workshop, a church and a small farm. The collection therefore ranges from residential and work buildings to a school, a church and a prison. The museum also has a large playground and a petting zoo for children.
Another striking destination is Hunebed D49, De Papeloze Kerk: a particularly large megalithic tomb with a capstone weighing 25,000 kilograms. If you would like to walk there, a hike from Schoonoord to the Papeloze Kerk follows the Oranjekanaal, passes through forests and crosses an old landscape with archaeological sites before reaching the hunebed. The route thus connects a specific destination with a landscape that holds further traces of the past.
Sleenerzand: Woodland Landscape and History
Sleenerzand is a forest area of more than 1,600 hectares between Noord-Sleen and Schoonoord. The Vliegtuigmonument there commemorates seven soldiers who were shot down in their bomber and died on 14 May 1943. The Galgenberg is also one of Sleenerzand’s historic sites. It is a burial mound where the leader of Sleenerzand was buried about 3,500 years ago. The dates are clearly different: the monument commemorates a precisely dated event in 1943, while the burial at the Galgenberg dates back approximately 3,500 years.
Several named walking routes pass through this area. The “Archeologie Sleenerzand” route runs alongside traces of the past. Dogs may walk off-leash on the route as long as they remain under control; they must be kept on a leash on a short section where livestock graze. So, if you are walking with a dog, note that the rule changes for this section. The “Jeneverbesroute Sleenerzand” also runs through Sleenerzand in southeast Drenthe.
The Pieterpad passes 500 metres from Schoonoord and runs from Schoonloo to Sleen; the entire route is 24 kilometres long. These figures refer to different things: the 500 metres describe how far the route passes from Schoonoord, while the 24 kilometres is the length of the route. The Kibbelkoele recreation area is also located in Sleenerzand Forest. It has a swimming lake with a wide sandy beach—offering a different focus from the area’s archaeological and historical destinations.
Discover more destinations: Zwinderen, Wezup, Wachtum, Aalden, Gees, Erm, Sleen, Zweeloo.
For the overview of the wider area: Coevorden.
