North of Doldersum lies the extensive, wet heathland nature reserve Doldersummerveld. It is part of Drents-Friese Wold National Park. If you are considering the village as a travel destination, you will find a range of highlights here: trails through the landscape, birdlife and nature conservation, as well as village history and memorial sites. The options differ considerably in length and subject; a short walk through the village is quite different from a hike of several kilometres or a visit to the heathland.
Heathland, nature conservation and birdlife
There are 111 breeding bird species in Doldersummerveld, including 20 considered critically endangered. The ecological farm Sophiahoeve is located at the edge of the area. Limousin cattle kept there graze on the heathland in summer. The post route and an unmarked 7-kilometre walking route are two ways to explore the nature reserve on foot. One practical difference is clear when choosing between them: one is a post route, while the other is explicitly described as unmarked and is 7 kilometres long.
There is also a 30-kilometre cycling route in Drents-Friese Wold National Park. It runs through the national park. Alongside the trails in Doldersummerveld, you can therefore choose a longer cycling route and activities connected with the village, without needing to combine them into a single tour.
Walks and longer hiking trails
The Ommetje Doldersum is 3.7 kilometres long and passes through the village. The 7.4-kilometre walking route “The story of the Doldersum monument” starts and ends on the Brink. If you want to compare routes by length, you can set these two village routes alongside the longer hikes: an 8-kilometre Doldersum–Doldersummerveld hiking trail starts at Grenzeloos Doldersum. A 13-kilometre hiking route with this name leads to a 13-metre-high observation tower with panoramic views over the heathland.
Other routes offer different highlights. The 6.5-kilometre Rondje Urnenveld route passes through Koelingsveld and Brouwersveld. The 20.1-kilometre Doldersum–Frederiksoord–Urnenveld hiking trail also starts at Grenzeloos Doldersum. The distances given help put the different lengths of time required into perspective; no walking times are specified.
Village history and memorial sites
Doldersum is an Esdorp, a type of village whose origins date back to the early Middle Ages. It was originally an agricultural settlement. The first settlement core later formed on two sides of a triangular Brink. The Brink is also the starting and ending point of the walking route “The story of the Doldersum monument”, connecting a named place in the village with a circular route.
In Wapserveld in Doldersum, the “Monument to the execution of escaped labourers” commemorates seven boys who were shot there by the occupying forces on 8 September 1944. The Doldersum–Doldersummerveld hiking trail also passes two of the four hiding places from the Second World War concealed in the area; yellow posts mark them. The cart track in Doldersummerveld was restored in 2021 and is a visible remnant of earlier trade routes.
Two burial mounds near Koelingsveld and Bouwersveld are popularly known as “de Majoor” and “de Generaal”. They probably date from the Bronze Age, around 1000 to 500 BC. The Jachtopzienerswoning, or gamekeeper’s house, was also located near Doldersum in an area used for hunting around 1920, after the Maatschappij van Weldadigheid acquired about 500 hectares of land from Baron Van der Felz.
Visiting the area
At the unmanned Huenderhoeve information centre, visitors can learn more about heathland management, the flock of sheep, the Esdorp of Doldersum and the Vledder Aa stream. There is also a charging station for electric bicycles at Huenderhoeve. Visitor information dated 20 June 2024 gives the annual opening period as April through October, daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; admission is free. Check these times before your trip.
A local speciality is “De werkende wees”, a blonde, top-fermented beer developed by Grenzeloos in collaboration with Maallust Brewery. You can try it at Restaurant Grenzeloos in Doldersum. As availability may vary, check in advance whether the beer is available.
Discover more destinations: Wateren, Zorgvlied, Diever, Havelte, Dieverbrug, Dwingeloo, Wilhelminaoord, Wapse.
Back to the main travel overview: Westerveld.
