Westerhaar-Vriezenv Wijk is ideal for an excursion focused on settlement history, peat extraction and the landscape. The local history traces the area’s development from individual farms through peat work to the partial merging of Westerhaar and Vriezenveensewijk. The “Ommetje Veenschap: geschiedenis” walk, Boerderij Galerie Dekker and the Veenmuseum offer different perspectives on a visit. The protected Engbertsdijksvenen nature area also lies east of the village.
Agriculture, peat extraction and local history
The origins of Westerhaar-Vriezenveensewijk were shaped by both agriculture and peat extraction. Westerhaar first developed as a collection of individual farms. Their residents used land leased from the monastery in Sibculo. The settlement’s early history therefore began with individual farms and leased plots, rather than a consolidated village. Large-scale peat extraction brought workers from Drenthe and Friesland to Westerhaar-Vriezenveensewijk in particular, adding another chapter to its agricultural history.
An important date in the development of the two places is 1920, when a Reformed church was built between Westerhaar and Vriezenveensewijk. Westerhaar and Vriezenveensewijk also gradually grew partly together as a result. The church was therefore one factor among several. This historical development can be viewed as the result of different influences: agricultural beginnings, an influx of people due to peat extraction, and the later connection between the two places.
Art and an authentic peat train experience
Boerderij Galerie Dekker dates from 1911. Its gallery regularly exhibits paintings by Jennie Dekker as well as works by other artists. A visit here therefore combines the building’s history with its function as a gallery. Regular exhibitions of Jennie Dekker’s paintings, along with the opportunity for other artists to show their work there, give the gallery its own cultural focus.
At the Veenmuseum, visitors can explore the grounds on an original peat train. This offers a different way to experience the subject of peat extraction than the local history does: the ride across the museum grounds takes center stage. Together with the gallery, it offers two distinct cultural points of interest: art and architectural history on the one hand, and peat and a historic train on the other.
Walking through the Veenschap
The “Ommetje Veenschap: geschiedenis” walk passes through the Veenschap, with its characteristic Vriezenveen parcel pattern: long, narrow fields define the landscape. The route also crosses a wooden boardwalk. Both the distinctive layout of the fields and this special stretch of path are part of the walk. The starting point is Dalweg 39, 7676 SB Westerhaar-Vriezenveensewijk.
The stated restriction is important when choosing the route: because of livestock grids and boggy and sandy ground, this walk is not suitable for wheelchair users or users of mobility scooters. If you plan to take the walk, consider these conditions when deciding. The local history and the gallery offer other points of interest if a walk through the Veenschap is not suitable for you.
Rare raised bog east of the village
Engbertsdijksvenen lies near Westerhaar-Vriezenveensewijk, east of the village. The nature area is protected as a Natura 2000 site and is home to rare raised bog. The themes of local development and peat extraction are thus set against a distinctive landscape where the conservation of raised bog is the priority. By weighing up their interests, visitors can choose between historical insights, art, a walk with explicitly stated route conditions, and the natural environment of the raised bog.
Discover more destinations: Den Ham.
Return to the main travel overview: Twenterand.
