Hiking routes in Drenthe

Drenthe is not a wilderness of dramatic vistas, but a flat, highly managed landscape where the choice of walk depends on whether you want to step onto dry sand or wet peat. In the north, the Drentsche Aa is a agricultural valley where you walk on dirt tracks alongside a winding stream, passing through old villages with thatched barns. If you prefer deep forest and shifting sands, head west to the Drents-Friese Wold or the adjacent Holtingerveld, where the paths are mostly loose sand and pine needles, shaped by centuries of sheep grazing and modern forestry.

For open, empty horizons, the wet reserves offer a completely different experience underfoot. In the eastern Bargerveen and the northern Fochtelo'erveen, you walk on bouncy peat soil and narrow wooden boardwalks over dark water. These are reconstructed bogs where you will find no trees, only cotton grass and vast skies. In contrast, the southern Dwingelderveld combines these two worlds, offering wide wet heaths bordered by dense pine plantations.

Do not expect rugged terrain or complete isolation. In Drenthe, you are never more than a few kilometers from a paved road or a village cafe, and the sound of distant traffic often carries across the flat fields. In November, the damp oak woods of the Drentsche Aa lose their leaves, revealing the ancient burial mounds that sit right beside the walking paths.