A railway museum with an extensive railway exhibition, five locks along a waterway and a park with winding paths give Stadskanaal several clearly distinct themes. You can assess the town according to the focus that interests you most: railway history, waterways, architecture or landscape. This selection offers a practical starting point for planning your trip and looking for a hotel in Stadskanaal.
Railways: Exhibition and historic train journey
For railway enthusiasts, the exhibition and train journey offer two different sides of the subject. The Museumspoorlijn STAR museum at Stadskanaal Station features an extensive exhibition on the history of the railway line. Museumspoorlijn STAR is the longest heritage railway in the Netherlands, runs along the border between Groningen and Drenthe, and offers a historic train journey. This lets you distinguish between exploring the line’s history in the museum and experiencing the journey by train as different ways to engage with the railway theme. The line’s location on the border between two provinces is part of its context.
Waterways and locks
Stadskanaal is part of the Veendam–Stadskanaal–Ter Apel waterway and has five locks, locally also known as “verlaten.” To the south, near the German border, it is connected to the German Haren-Rütenbrock Canal. The course of the waterway and this cross-border connection are two distinct points of reference for anyone interested in the waterways. If you are planning a trip on the water, check the current navigation conditions.
Comparing the park and architecture
Julianapark is a Dutch national monument (Rijksmonument) laid out in the English landscape style in the 1930s. Its winding paths and irregularly shaped pond make the design easy to appreciate. Watertoren Stadskanaal offers a different architectural accent: the tower is 42.67 metres tall and was built in 1935 in the Amsterdam School style. Both the park and the tower date from the 1930s, but represent different design concepts: the English landscape style and the Amsterdam School. For those interested in culture, this offers a comparison between landscape design and architecture.
Birdwatching as a nature theme
The Veenhuizerstukken in Stadskanaal offer a different nature experience. There is a birdwatching hide where you can observe spoonbills, garganeys, common pochards and northern shovelers. These species give the nature experience a specific focus; here, birdwatching sits alongside the architectural and railway themes. When choosing a destination, you can weigh up whether you are more interested in observing specific wildlife or in cultural and architectural themes.
A point of reference in the town centre
The Geert Teis Theatre is a useful point of reference for finding your way around the town centre. It is located in the centre of Stadskanaal; right next to it, at Geert Teisplein, there is a large free car park with ample spaces for people with disabilities. If you include the theatre in your travel plans, you can use its central location and the adjacent car park as practical arrival information.
Discover more destinations: Onstwedde, Alteveer, Mussel, Vledderveen.
Return to the main travel overview: Stadskanaal.
