Zwiggelte is a village of medieval origins whose open character has largely been preserved. Along the Hoofdstraat, you’ll find notable longhouse types dating from the 18th and 19th centuries; on the other side of the canal lies Zwiggelterveld, a large area of forest and heath. The history of Kamp Westerbork and astronomy also give the place distinct thematic dimensions. You can get to know Zwiggelte through its village layout and landscape, while deciding whether to focus on architectural history, remembrance, an educational trail, or an outdoor excursion.

Village Character and Historic Buildings

The buildings along the Hoofdstraat showcase various longhouse types. Their working area is at either the rear or the middle—a specific feature that helps distinguish the different designs. Together with the largely preserved open character of this medieval village, these houses shape the historic impression of the place.

Zwiggelterveld lies on the other side of the canal. Today, this large area of forest and heath is part of Boswachterij Hooghalen. The historic buildings in the village thus face a landscape defined by forest and heath. If you’re interested in both, you can combine the village’s history and architecture with a longer excursion through the landscape without conflating the different experiences.

Kamp Westerbork: Exhibition and Preserved Buildings

The permanent exhibition at the Herinneringscentrum Kamp Westerbork tells the story of the site through personal accounts by deportees, guards, train drivers, neighbors, and people who helped Jewish people hide or escape. These different perspectives take the story beyond the buildings to the experiences of the people connected with the camp.

The Commandantswoning is one of the few surviving buildings of the camp and is a Dutch Rijksmonument. The Rijksgebouwendienst built the wooden house in 1939, when the camp began operating as Centraal Vluchtelingenkamp Westerbork to receive Jewish refugees from Germany. A glass greenhouse structure spans the Commandantswoning to protect it from further decay.

The SS bunker at Schattenberg 4 in Zwiggelte is also a rare and significant part of the Kamp Westerbork complex. Its typology and the materials used make it architecturally significant. The surviving original structures in the complex have international cultural and historical significance because of their special function and their importance for and during the Second World War.

Visitors who want to reach the camp grounds by car can park at the Herinneringscentrum and take a shuttle bus from there. Check whether the shuttle bus is running before you travel.

Melkwegpad and Radio Telescope

The Melkwegpad is an educational forest trail and a scale model of the solar system. Each planet is briefly explained, and the route ends at the first dish of the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT). The WSRT consists of 14 individual parabolic antennas and stands in the woods. The trail presents the solar system as a model, while the radio telescope’s antenna array offers a different perspective on astronomy.

Vehicle access within the telescope’s restricted zone is limited for visitors not accompanied by ASTRON. They should leave their car outside the zone and continue to the telescope on foot or by bicycle. Check ASTRON’s visitor information before setting out, as procedures may change.

Walk or Cycle

For a walk, the marked Westerbork–Zwiggelte route is a specific option: it is 15 kilometers long and leads from Westerbork through Zwiggelte and back. The 21-kilometer cycling route through Boswachterij Hooghalen is accessible and follows quiet cycle paths. Along the way, it passes through coniferous and deciduous forests and alongside heathland, small bog lakes, and old areas of drifting sand.

The two routes differ both in how you travel and in their described courses: the walking route passes through Zwiggelte, while the cycling route focuses on the landscape of Boswachterij Hooghalen. This makes it easier to choose according to your interests, without treating the routes as interchangeable. Check current route conditions before setting out.

Discover more destinations: Wijster, Orvelte, Beilen, Spier, Mantinge, Balinge, Hoogersmilde, Hijken.

For the broader travel overview: Midden-Drenthe.