At the Kamp Westerbork Memorial Centre, the stories of more than 100,000 Jewish people, as well as Sinti and Roma, take centre stage. During the Second World War, they were deported from the Netherlands to concentration and extermination camps and murdered. This memorial site gives the exploration of Midden-Drenthe’s history a clear focus.
A memorial site and history brought to life
The former Kamp Westerbork site includes the 1939 commandant’s residence, memorials and reconstructions. An audio tour leads to fifteen information points about memorials, reconstructions and original traces of the camp that are still visible. This brings both the history and its traces in the landscape into view. Check the audio tour access information before your visit.
The Kamp Westerbork museum café serves hot and cold drinks, freshly prepared sandwiches, and sweet and savoury snacks every day. If you plan to visit the café, check the current offerings beforehand.
Orvelte: village life and architecture
Orvelte is a living heritage village: people live and work here, and visitors can experience history at first hand. The village itself is freely accessible all year round. You can visit the interiors of some of the thatched Saxon farmhouses and other rustic buildings. It is worth distinguishing between the village as a whole and individual interiors: only some buildings are open to visitors.
The de Bruntingerhof visitor centre, run by Het Drentse Landschap, is on the Brink in the heart of Orvelte. Access is via the tourist information office, TIP, located there. Opening hours may change, so check the latest information if you plan to visit.
Collections and gardens
The Oudheidkamer Beilen brings together a wide variety of everyday objects and works of art: Chinese porcelain, Delftware and other earthenware, gold and silver objects, paintings, old household items and traditional earrings. Visits and guided tours are available by appointment. Plan a visit in advance rather than assuming you can enter without one.
The Stinzentuin op 't Kloosterveen offers a different perspective on history and nature. This 7,000-square-metre ecological woodland garden lies behind a listed building. Visits are possible by appointment from 1 March to 15 May and include a guided tour with stories about its history. Coffee or tea is served in the kitchen or garden house.
Heathland, water and open landscapes
Midden-Drenthe lies at the heart of three national parks: Drentsche Aa, Dwingelderveld and Drents-Friese Wold. The region’s landscapes also vary considerably. At Mantingerzand, four smaller nature areas are being combined into a larger one. You can walk through what is described as an authentic Drenthe landscape or explore the area by bike.
Scharreveld is once again one of Drenthe’s larger heathland areas. New pools have been colonised by moor frogs and natterjack toads. Hijkerveld shows another side of the heath: it is a vast area with dozens of pools and peat remnants. South of Beilen lies Terhorsterzand, an approximately 181-hectare area of drifting sand, partly stabilised by pine trees planted in 1900.
Routes with different highlights
The Buurtommetje Holthe, Lieving en Makkum is a good choice for a walk through Holthe, Lieving and Makkum. The route is about eight kilometres long, lies southeast of Beilen and follows mostly minor roads, sandy tracks and drainage paths. In Holthe, the garden-gnome-themed Kabouterlaantje is part of this walk; it is on Hingstesteeg. There is parking and a small playground at the starting point, by the buurthuis ’t Trefpunt.
Several longer walks are also described. The signposted Westerbork-Zwiggelte route is 15 kilometres long and runs from Westerbork through Zwiggelte and back. The signposted Scharreveld route is a 16-kilometre circular walk from Beilen through Holtherzand and Scharreveld. The Zuider Kluft is a 24.5-kilometre route from Beilen through Terhorsterzand and Boswachterij Dwingeloo and back. The different route lengths help you choose, without implying a walking time or difficulty level.
The five-kilometre Melkwegpad combines walking with views of the universe and Europe’s largest radio telescopes. The route is accessible to wheelchairs and mobility scooters. The Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope, or WSRT, consists of fourteen parabolic antennas in the woods beside the former Kamp Westerbork. Visitors not accompanied by ASTRON have restricted vehicle access to the restricted zone. They should park outside the zone and continue to the telescopes on foot or by bike; check access information before travelling there.
Another perspective at VAM-Berg
VAM-Berg has three climbing routes and a descent. The climbing routes are 2,100 metres long in total and have an average gradient of 10 per cent. There are also two walking trails. This one place offers routes with different lengths and elevation profiles alongside opportunities for walking.
Discover more destinations: Balinge, Beilen, Drijber, Hooghalen, Witteveen, Smilde, Westerbork, Spier, Hoogersmilde, Hijken, Zwiggelte, Elp, Wijster, Orvelte, Ruinerwold, Mantinge.
For the overview of the wider region: Drenthe.
