West of Stuifzand are two nearby nature areas: Boerenveensche Plassen and Spaarbankbos. The Oude Diep also winds through meadows, hedgerows and riverside woods near Stuifzand. Together with cycling and walking routes and historic sites, they offer different ways to spend your stay: watching birds, exploring the woods and countryside on foot, or learning about the village’s history.
Birdlife and countryside around Stuifzand
The Boerenveensche Plassen reserve, west of Stuifzand, consists of an extensive heathland area with large expanses of water and heath pools. It is rich in bird species. During migration, ruffs, bean geese, wood sandpipers and black-tailed godwits are often seen there. The area is wet and has few paths, so walking options are limited. However, birds can be observed easily from the elevated Kerkweg. If you want to focus on wildlife watching, you will find different conditions here than on a longer walking route.
Nearby Spaarbankbos is also west of Stuifzand, beyond the Hoogeveen–Assen railway line. The forest is freely accessible via roads and walking paths; a purple-marked route also runs through it. Its landscape differs from the reserve’s open expanses of water and heathland: former drifting dunes lie in the eastern part, while a pool with bog plants is found in the west. These include cranberry, round-leaved sundew, cotton grass and various peat mosses.
The Oude Diep near Stuifzand offers another perspective on the landscape. The stream winds through a varied setting of meadows, hedgerows and riverside woods. This landscape adds open spaces and vegetation along the stream to the impressions of heathland and forest.
Walking and cycling routes offer different options
The signposted “10 Dorpenroute Veenkoloniën” cycling route is 67 kilometres long and passes through Fluitenberg, Pesse, Stuifzand, Tiendeveen, Nieuweroord, Noordscheschut, Hollandscheveld, Nieuwlande, Elim and Nieuw Moscou. The route links these ten named places into a longer cycling trip.
For a shorter option, the signposted “Naar Siberië (en weer terug)” walking route is 13 kilometres long. It runs from Hoogeveen through Stadterij, Stuifzand, Zwartschaap and Siberië to Tiendeveen, then back to Hoogeveen. Along the way, you will encounter woods, fields and pastures. The route is not paved throughout. The two routes differ in both mode of travel and length; check the current route and the walking path’s condition before setting out.
Village history and notable places
Stuifzand was established towards the end of the 18th century. Workers and farmers settled there to cultivate the sandy soils. The Kleinste Huisje van Drenthe offers another historical perspective: the house was once a peat cutter’s home. “Olde Grietien” lived there with her five children into old age. A historical image titled “Plaggenhut met schuurtje” depicts a sod hut with a shed on the heath near Stuifzand; it dates from 1890–1895.
The Reformed Bethelkerk, a green-painted wooden church dating from 1933, stands on Zwartschaap road. The Zwarte Zaterdag monument is at Wijsterseweg 147, 7934 TE Stuifzand. These places add distinct, specific stops to the landscape routes, though they are not all the same kind of outing.
Visiting and staying overnight
Visitors are welcome at the Biologische Kaasboerderij JUSTA by prior arrangement. JUSTA cheese is made from cow’s milk at the cheese dairy. If you plan to visit the farm, arrange it in advance.
The Kleinste Huisje is set in rustic surroundings in the hamlet of Stuifzand and is now a holiday home in the heart of the countryside. It brings together the history of the former peat cutter’s home and its current use as accommodation. If you are considering staying here, check availability for your travel dates.
Discover more destinations: Hollandscheveld, Fluitenberg, Nieuweroord, Pesse, Hoogeveen, Elim, Nieuwlande, Tiendeveen.
Back to the main travel overview: Hoogeveen.
