Walking and cycling junction networks run through and around the Bargerveen, continuing across the German border. The area is accessible year-round via designated roads and paths. Access rules may change in sensitive habitats.
Peatland paths and tours
A section of the Bargerveen is accessible to wheelchair users and mobility scooter users. It leads from the Bargerveen-Noord car park to the birdwatching hut and the top of the Verlengde Noordersloot viewing hill. Check the accessibility information again before your trip. For a longer cycling tour, a 14-kilometre route crosses distinctive boardwalks and passes viewpoints. It is suitable for e-bikes and adapted bicycles; check the route and surface conditions in advance.
The walking routes also vary in length. An approximately nine-kilometre route, part of the Drenthe walking network, runs through the Emmerdennen, one of Drenthe’s oldest forests. Sand hills, pine trees and viewpoints characterize the forest, which also has family-friendly paths. An approximately six-kilometre walking route runs around the Grote Rietplas. You can picnic, swim and play there; local conditions may vary. The approximately eight-kilometre Hunebedwandeling Valthe passes the prehistoric monuments D36, D37 and D38.
Art and culture in Rensenpark
Rensenpark in Emmen is on the former site of the Noorder Dierenpark and is now a city park for art, culture and creativity. The former elephant enclosure features colourful works by 35 international and Dutch street art and graffiti artists. The displays may change.
The Museum voor Hedendaagse Tibetaanse Kunst in Rensenpark displays artworks, ritual objects and paintings from Tibet, Bhutan and Nepal. An audio guide provides recorded commentary on artworks and museum objects in Dutch, English and German. The museum is wheelchair accessible and about a ten-minute walk from Emmen station. Live performances are held regularly, and workshops are also offered.
DIEP Emmen is also located in Rensenpark. It regularly hosts educational projects and art activities; visitors can take part in workshops or educational projects. The park therefore offers both collections and exhibitions, as well as recurring opportunities to participate.
Peat history and historic sites
The Veenpark depicts the lives of peat workers around 1920. Visitors can explore the villages and raised bog area by train and peat boat. The attractions include two narrow-gauge railway lines and many kilometres of navigable canals used for passenger transport. The only surviving peat-cutting site can also be seen there; visitors can experience for themselves how peat was cut. Check operating details and current accessibility before your trip.
Another historic trail leads to the Van Gogh Huis Drenthe in Nieuw-Amsterdam/Veenoord. It is the only publicly accessible building in the Netherlands where Vincent van Gogh lived and worked. The house is about a four-minute walk from Nieuw-Amsterdam station.
Hunebed D43 is the only long barrow in the Netherlands and was built around 3000 BC by the Funnel Beaker culture. Emmerschans is an earthwork built around 1800 for defence during the French period. The De Nabershof farm museum dates from 1681 and features the exhibitions “Boeren op het Noordeind” and “Boeren op de Nabershof”. At the museum, you can learn how “Empne” developed into the farming village of Emmen in the Middle Ages; it also offers an almost complete overview of the farms, their owners and residents.
Discover animal worlds
WILDLANDS Adventure Zoo Emmen comprises three themed worlds: Jungola, Nortica and Serenga. The zoo is home to more than 250 animal species in habitats whose design is inspired by natural environments. The three names clearly distinguish the themed worlds, while the variety of animal species offers different insights into these designed habitats.
Discover more destinations: Emmen, Erica, Nieuw-Amsterdam, Roswinkel, Schoonebeek, Zwartemeer, Emmer-Compascuum, Weiteveen.
For the main travel overview: Drenthe.
