In Oldeberkoop, a protected village setting, art trails and a range of options for walking and hiking come together. Exploring the village centre reveals the history of Bonifatiuskerk; those looking to cover more ground can find longer hiking routes and an annual walking event, among other options.
Church and historic village centre
The historic village centre around the church is listed as a protected village setting in the Rijksmonumenten register. Bonifatiuskerk, together with its cemetery and the surrounding ring wall, is listed as a Rijksmonument. Its oldest parts were probably completed around 1125. The centre therefore brings together two distinct historical features: the protected village setting and the individual monument ensemble of church, cemetery and wall.
A roughly one-hour walk around the village offers a shorter way to explore Oldeberkoop. For longer walks, there are routes described by Stichting Promotie Oldeberkoop. They start and end at the goat Snoesje, opposite Bonifatiuskerk in the centre, and are approximately 9 to 25 kilometres long.
Art trails and recurring events
During Kijkroute Open Stal, art is displayed each year for four weeks in July and August at various indoor and outdoor locations in the village. The Open Stal art trail features works by various artists at more than 20 indoor and outdoor locations; the exact number may vary slightly from one edition to another. If you plan to visit for this event, check the specific dates for the edition in question.
The Parkbossen art trail offers another connection between art and local history. This village walk passes monuments and historic buildings and goes through the park forests. Its theme links their English landscape design with history, monuments and art objects. This distinguishes it from Open Stal, where art is displayed at several indoor and outdoor locations throughout the village.
Walking and cycling
The Berkoper Wandeldag takes place every year on the fourth Sunday in June. Routes of 10, 15, 30 or 40 kilometres are available for this walking event; the options may vary from one edition to another. The much shorter duration of the roughly one-hour village walk and the distances of the hiking routes can help you decide how much time and distance to plan for a walk.
There are also different cycling routes to choose from: eight cycle routes with various distances and destinations are available at the Tourist Information Point in Oldeberkoop. Asking there can help you choose if you already have a route or destination in mind.
Surrounding landscape
Delleboersterheide lies along the Oldeberkoop–Makkinga road and is easily accessible from there. It covers a 195-hectare stream-valley landscape area managed by It Fryske Gea. Stuttebosch is also located east of Oldeberkoop; a meander of the Lende has been excavated again there. These two landscapes extend the view beyond the historic village centre, without requiring a set route between the locations.
Arriving by boat and local cheesemaking
Passantenhaven De Uutwiek is on the Turfroute and is open from 16 May to 15 September. It offers a way to arrive in Oldeberkoop by boat and has space for about 20 boats. The moorings have lighting and shore power; there is also a station for wastewater and bilge water, as well as a drinking-water tap. The seasonal opening period is an important planning consideration for arriving by boat.
Local produce includes the farmhouse cheese made by Kaasboerderij de Stelp. Since 2000, the van der Gun family has made it in the traditional way using milk from their own cows, producing up to 14 varieties. These include, for example, plain, fenugreek, nettle, pesto and Friese nagel. The selection of varieties may change.
Discover more destinations: Donkerbroek, Langedijke, Fochteloo, Oosterwolde, Nijeberkoop, Appelscha, Elsloo, Waskemeer.
For the broader travel overview: Ooststellingwerf.
