Dieversluis offers a tangible introduction to Dieverbrug’s history by the water. The visitor centre tells the story of the Drentsche Hoofdvaart and water management in Drenthe; an audiovisual presentation complements the information. The canal’s history goes beyond today’s recreational boating: it was built at the end of the 18th century to transport peat extracted north of Dieverbrug. On the Drentsche Hoofdvaart, recreational boats have since taken the place of cargo vessels. Looking at the waterway, you can therefore see both its former purpose as a peat transport route and its present-day use by recreational boats. This gives you two distinct perspectives in time on the same waterway: its economic purpose when it was built and the subsequent changes in shipping.

Waterways and Industrial Heritage

The lime kilns in Dieverbrug were established in 1925 as a limestone-burning plant.

At Rijksweg 26, two identical kilns and the framework of a conveyor, believed to date from the first half of the 20th century, have been preserved.

The historic Schotbalkenloods at Dieversluis was used to store stop planks, which served as temporary barriers during maintenance work on the lock gates. So, alongside the waterway itself, you can also get a glimpse of the work involved in maintaining lock gates.

The visitor centre introduces the broader context of the Drentsche Hoofdvaart and water management in Drenthe; the Schotbalkenloods illustrates a specific maintenance task. Together, they offer a perspective ranging from the canal as a transport route to the practical work involved in maintaining a lock. This shift between the broad overview and the technical detail gives Dieverbrug’s water engineering history a clear thematic thread.

Routes Between the Harbour and the Canal

For a specific outing, you can explore the signposted Dwingeler Ommetje Jupiter: the 5.2-kilometre route starts at Dieverbrug harbour and lock. It passes through open areas, past meadows, waterways, canals and boats, along a lock and through a maize field. Open spaces and water infrastructure thus shape the route together. If you would rather cycle along the canal, you can join a cycle route in Dieverbrug that follows it, using the cycle junction network. The Ommetje offers a signposted route with a stated length; the cycle route follows the canal and the junction network. You can choose based on whether you would like to focus on a specific route or on cycling along the canal.

Moorings and Sluisdagen

There are also specific places to spend the night on the water: in Dieverbrug, overnight moorings are available in the visitor marina and between the lock and the bridge. The harbour is also the venue for the Sluisdagen, an annual two-day event held at Pentecost, featuring old boats. The Dwingeler Ommetje Jupiter also starts at the harbour, alongside the lock. So moorings, an event and a route starting point all come together here. If you would like to include the Sluisdagen in your trip, check the exact event dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Wateren, Dwingeloo, Havelte, Uffelte, Wilhelminaoord, Wapserveen, Wapse, Vledder.

For the broader travel overview: Westerveld.