Vledder offers a range of ways to enjoy a stay: contemporary glass art, museums, historic traces in the village and paths through the surrounding landscape. When planning your visit, you can take your cues from the subjects that interest you most. Art and local history show different sides of Vledder; walking paths and an estate north of the village add another perspective on the landscape.
Museums with different focuses
The Museum Valse Kunst is housed in the former town hall on the Brink. During a visit, you can learn about the techniques, materials and tricks used by art forgers. The collection also has its own focus: it concentrates mainly on European glass art after 1945. It includes works from the Netherlands, France, Italy, Poland and the Scandinavian countries. Anyone interested in glass art will find both a historical timeframe and a geographical overview of the collection here.
The Miramar Sea Museum has been based in Vledder since 1965 and offers children several activities specifically designed for them: a scavenger hunt through the museum, shell crafts, a children's corner and a whale trail in the museum garden. The two museums therefore also differ in how they present their subjects. The children's activities at Miramar can be included as a separate item when planning your day, without confusing them with the art collection or the historic sites in the village.
The Brink and village history
The Grote Brink is one of two village greens in Vledder planted with oak trees. It also preserves a historical memory: fairs were once held on the Vreedebrink, now called Grote Brink, where horses, cows and sheep were traded. The last fair in Vledder took place in 1922. Visitors to the square therefore encounter both a defining feature of the village and a place that once served a specific market function.
A 17-ton glacial erratic from 1903 also stands on the Grote Brink. It was erected there in 1945 as a war memorial to the victims of the Second World War. Since 1993, another feature at the Wierplas has commemorated a local tradition: the sculpture “Boodschapper met Boerstokkie” by Bert Kiewiet. It depicts the passing on of a Boerstok. A message was attached to this stick, which the Boermarke passed on like a relay baton. The sculpture thus tells the story of a tradition of transmitting messages, while the glacial erratic serves as a memorial to the victims of the war.
Koelingsveld is also part of the area's archaeological landscape. It lies between Vledder and Doldersum and is one of the largest urnfields in northwestern Europe. The field includes burial mounds from the Late Bronze Age and the Iron Age. Its location between the two villages is another point of interest for anyone interested in early settlement and prehistoric traces.
Walking paths and landscape
The local walking paths start in the village centre, connect the landscape around Vledder with local culture and follow old, restored footpaths. Vledderhof Estate lies north of Vledder. There, avenues and walking trails wind through different areas of woodland and grassland; several ponds and small peat lakes shape the landscape. The village routes and the estate therefore offer different perspectives on walking in and around Vledder: some start in the centre, while the estate's paths lead through its woodland and grassland areas.
Planning your trip by bus or bike
Qbuzz bus route 20 serves the Brink stop in Vledder and runs from Steenwijk via Dieverbrug to Assen. If you plan to use the bus, check the timetable before departure, as schedules may change.
For an exploration by bike, the “Museum route” passes through Vledder. Along the way, it connects the Miramar Sea Museum and the Museum Valse Kunst with the OERmuseum in Diever and Museum De Proefkolonie in Frederiksoord. Check the current route download before setting off. This gives you the listed stops and route details for your planning, without assuming a fixed duration or a particular itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Frederiksoord, Zorgvlied, Dieverbrug, Wapse, Doldersum, Wateren, Nijensleek, Havelte
To the overarching travel overview: Westerveld.
