Weaving history, a guided ride and different routes give Noordwolde several distinct points of interest. The Nationaal Vlechtmuseum tells the story of the town’s weaving history; outdoors, paths through woodland and nature, as well as places by the water, take centre stage. For planning, it helps to distinguish between the offerings by type: the museum, guided ride, cycling tour and a stage of the Stellingenpad each have their own themes. This lets you choose based on your main interest.
Weaving history in the former school building
The Nationaal Vlechtmuseum is housed in a Rijksmonument, which formerly housed Noordwolde’s Rietvlechtschool. It presents the town’s weaving history: from weaving with willow rods and making baskets to the rattan chair industry. This sequence makes the development of the subject easy to follow—from the weaving material and handmade product to an industry associated with rattan chairs. The building also brings together two uses from different periods: the former school and its present role as a museum. Those interested in cultural and architectural history will find a coherent theme here, centred on weaving and its development.
Guided ride from Tramhalteplein
The VlechtExpress offers a guided ride lasting almost an hour and a half. Its starting point, Tramhalteplein, is next to the museum. The ride follows public roads and passes through the countryside around Noordwolde, including beautiful woodland paths. This adds a guided perspective on the surroundings to the weaving history inside the building: the experience combines a stated duration and a specific starting point with a range of landscape views along the way.
Two routes, different details
The Fietsrondje Stellingwerven cycling tour starts at bicycle junction 11 in the weaving village of Noordwolde and passes through Drents-Friese Wold National Park. The route crosses the border between Drenthe and Friesland twice. Another option is stage 15 of the Stellingenpad: a 10.4-kilometre traverse from Vledder to Noordwolde. For this stage, the endpoints and distance are specified; the cycling tour is described by its starting point, its passage through the national park and its two border crossings. Before setting off, check whether the published routes have changed.
Spokeplas and De Dobbe
Spokeplas is a small lake surrounded by grassy areas and woodland. You can go walking in the surrounding woods. Spoekeplas, at Spokedam in Noordwolde, is listed as a bathing spot. The heated outdoor swimming pool De Dobbe is in Noordwolde.
Maps and local information
Tourist Info Noordwolde sells walking and cycling maps and distributes publications about local walking and cycling routes. It also provides information about Noordwolde and the surrounding area, activities held there and places of interest. These include museums, mills, nature reserves and gardens. The information can help you further narrow down your interests for your stay: the maps and route publications cover walking and cycling paths, while the information also includes cultural and landscape topics. This keeps weaving history, routes and nature clearly identifiable as separate focuses when planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Blesdijke, Oldeholtpade, Wolvega, Scherpenzeel, Oldetrijne, Boijl, Zandhuizen, Nijeholtpade.
For the broader travel overview: Weststellingwerf.
