Westervelde offers several points of interest for travellers interested in cultural history: a protected village landscape, the Kamp De Fledders monument and historic buildings. The Westervelde–Norg Knapzak Route adds a longer walk, with options for shorter routes. If you are looking for accommodation, you can plan your stay around whether local history, remembrance or walking is the main focus of your trip.
Memorial Site and Historic Village Centre
The Kamp De Fledders monument commemorates 120 Jewish forced labourers who were housed in this labour camp from July to October 1942. A pane of glass rests between two curved concrete supports, with barbed wire depicted on it. The brick platform is shaped like a Star of David. The monument’s design thus stands alongside the remembrance of the people and the period the camp was in operation.
The monument is located in a meadow between Westervelde, Zuidvelde and Huis ter Heide. It stands along the road from Zuidvelde to the Kolonievaart, level with the entrance to the former Jewish labour camp.
Westervelde is part of the designated protected village landscape of “Westervelde en Zuidvelde”. The historic village centre developed along Hoofdstraat, Schoolstraat and Steeg; the large triangular village green is also located there. Several handsome 19th-century farms stand along Hoofdweg and Schoolstraat. The streets, village green and farms thus reflect different aspects of the village landscape: its historic layout, the distinctive shape of the green and its agricultural architecture.
Huis Westervelde, also known as Tonckensborg, is a square, single-storey house with a U-shaped hipped roof. A farm is attached to its north-eastern corner. The house was probably built in the second half of the 15th century. This probable construction date gives it an earlier historical dimension than the 19th-century farms; the house also stands out for its shape and attached farm.
Hunebed D2 is the Westervelde hunebed and one of two hunebeds in Noordenveld. Alongside the building history and the memorial site, it also offers an archaeological point of interest.
Walking Route and Natural Features
The 17 km Westervelde–Norg Knapzak Route can easily be shortened to two separate routes, each 9.5 km long. You can therefore choose between the 17 km route and two shorter alternatives of 9.5 km each.
The route passes through Norgerholt, beneath tall oaks and ancient holly trees. The undergrowth is almost impenetrable. A hunebed and burial mounds lie along the way; the route also follows a meandering stream. The woodland, archaeological traces and stream give the walk a variety of natural and historical highlights.
The surrounding area also has a distinctive natural feature: the Norger bosmuur is found almost nowhere else in the world. In addition to village history and the walking route, regional natural features are another option to consider for your stay.
Discover more destinations: Norg, Alteveer, Zuidvelde, Een-West, Een, Roden, Roderesch, Peest
For the broader travel overview: Noordenveld.
