Cycling routes in Drenthe

Cycle through the Heart of Drenthe and experience a historic landscape where nature and heritage blend seamlessly. You’ll ride past varied woodlands and wide heathlands, with marshy wetlands, open drifting sands, and meandering streams creating a fresh atmosphere around every bend. The traditional village of Orvelte is a memorable highlight along the way, giving this route not only plenty of variety but also a distinctive Drenthe character.

Cycle through the classic peat-colony landscape of Southeast Drenthe, where ancient es fields and quiet stream valleys set the pace of the route. Along the way, open meadows and farmland alternate, with hedgerows and peaceful back roads keeping the scenery small-scale and unspoilt. Rare remnants of raised bog add a wilder edge, making this ride especially rewarding if you enjoy nature, history, and wide-open space.

Cycle through Drents-Friese Wold National Park, one of the largest continuous nature areas in the Netherlands, and enjoy its striking variety of landscapes. You’ll ride through dense forests and past impressive drifting sands, while heathland and fairytale-like ponds add space and tranquillity along the way. This cycling route is perfect if you’re looking for long, quiet paths and ever-changing scenery in the heart of nature.

Cycle through Dwingelderveld National Park, the largest continuous wet heathland in Western Europe, where water and heath shape the scenery. You’ll ride past dark forests and picturesque ponds, with damp heath, sphagnum moss fields, and peat bogs adding a rugged edge to the landscape. This is a route full of peace and open space, perfect if you love pure nature and scenery that changes with every season.

Cycle through the Holtingerveld and experience a landscape of striking contrasts, from elevated farmland and wide heathlands to dark forests and waterlogged peat areas. Along the way, idyllic ponds and impressive drifting sands create open, bright views that keep changing as you ride. Passing through the Colonies of Benevolence adds extra depth, with their distinctive cultural-historic layout of avenues and settlements, where nature and history come together beautifully.

Cycle through the Veenland region and the Bargerveen and discover the rugged nature of the Netherlands’ largest continuous raised bog area. You’ll ride through an open, quiet landscape of sphagnum moss, wet hollows, and wide views, while to the north the peat-colony layout reveals straight lines, canals, and drainage ditches once dug for water management and peat transport. A distinctive cycling route for anyone who loves wild nature, vast open space, and the atmosphere of Drenthe’s historic peatlands.

Cycle through the Mantingerveld and the Hoogeveense Venen and experience a primeval landscape where nature and time seem to meet. You’ll ride past wide heathlands and ancient juniper scrub, with windswept drifting sands giving the area a rugged, open feel. A true highlight is the prehistoric forest, where the quiet, untouched atmosphere of Drenthe can almost be sensed between the tree trunks.

Cycle across the Hondsrug ridge and through the Sleenerzand and discover a captivating Drenthe landscape with varied nature and noticeable changes in elevation. You’ll ride past vast forest estates and open heathland, with quiet ponds and sandy tracks offering a different view at every turn. In the scenic stream valleys the scenery becomes greener and more intimate, making this route a rewarding mix of space, tranquillity, and variety.

Cycle through the Northern Drenthe region and De Onlanden and discover a varied landscape where higher sandy ground lies close to wet lowlands. You’ll ride past forests and heathland, with streams, marshes, and open water creating a rich wetland atmosphere and excellent birdlife. Along the way, meadows and traces of early settlement, such as prehistoric urnfields, add extra depth and make this route especially appealing for lovers of both nature and history.

Cycle through Drentsche Aa National Park and across the Hondsrug ridge and experience one of Western Europe’s best-preserved stream valley landscapes. You’ll ride alongside winding brooks, flower-rich meadows, and historic arable fields on higher ground, passing atmospheric village greens and quiet sandy lanes that give the area its timeless feel. The Hondsrug adds gentle elevation and long views, making this route a rewarding blend of nature, heritage, and variety.

Cycle through the historic village-and-farmland landscape around Norg and towards the Fochteloërveen and experience the transition from small-scale sandy farmland to an almost untouched raised bog. You’ll ride past historic es fields, hedgerows, and quiet tree-lined lanes, before the views open up into wide horizons with a strong sense of silence and space. Near the monumental detention village, the surrounding forestry area adds extra character, with long forest avenues and clear traces of history embedded in the scenery.

Cycle through Drentsche Aa National Park and the Hunze Valley and experience a flower-rich stream valley landscape where nature and history are visible at every turn. You’ll ride past forests and heathland, following old farm tracks and sandy lanes that weave between hedgerows and open es fields. Ancient hunebedden (dolmens) and burial mounds punctuate the route, adding a deeper story and making every kilometre feel not only green, but richly atmospheric.

Cycle across the Zuidwolde Ridge and through the Reest Valley and discover a varied landscape where higher sandy ground alternates with wet stream valleys. You’ll ride past flower-filled meadows, old hedgerows, and quiet woodland strips, with heathland and small ponds adding open views and changing scenery along the way. This is an appealing route for anyone who enjoys small-scale nature, peaceful roads, and a landscape with a distinctive historic character.

Cycle through the Hunze Valley near Gieten and Borger and experience a classic Drenthe stream landscape where the Hunze winds through open meadows and green nature strips. You’ll pass wet lowlands with reed-fringed marsh edges, herb-rich grasslands, and small alder carr woods, alternating with higher sandy ground where woodland edges and traditional arable fields on higher ground add gentle relief. As you approach Gasselternijveen, the scenery shifts into the peat-colony region, with long straight canals, geometric plots, and ribbon villages that still reflect the area’s history of peat digging and land reclamation.