Cycling route Hunze Valley and Peat Colonies
Cycling through a diverse landscape of wet forests, marshes, grasslands, canals, ditches, winding streams and vast open fields.
The Landscape
The Hunze Valley near Gieten and Borger is a characteristic stream valley landscape in eastern Drenthe, where the Hunze flows like a winding artery through open meadows and green nature strips. In the lower areas, seepage water and wet soils create marshy edges, alder woods and herb rich grasslands, while the higher sandy grounds feature dry paths, old es fields and traces of early settlement. This cycling route reveals, within a short distance, the variety of Drenthe’s stream valley nature and cultural history, shaped by water, soil and people.
As you cycle towards Stadskanaal into the Peat Colonies, you enter an open reclamation landscape with long, straight lines of canals, ditches and ribbon villages. This area was shaped in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries by peat extraction, when peat barges carried the turf away and settlements developed along the waterways. Today, space and agriculture dominate, with neat parcels of land and wide fields of potatoes, sugar beet, grain and onions, while small bridges, locks and old farmhouses along the canals still reflect the history of this peat colony landscape.
What You’ll Discover Along the Way
On the higher sandy grounds around Gieten, you cycle past forest edges and heathlands, with sheltered stretches that gradually open up into wide spaces and distant views.
Beyond the higher sandy grounds, the landscape opens into the fields and meadows of the Peat Colonies. Long sightlines and straight land divisions give this part of the route an open and spacious character.
In the lower parts of the Hunze Valley, you cycle past wet grasslands and peat areas. These moist zones highlight the influence of water and give the landscape a quiet and natural character.
The Hunze and its tributaries shape the landscape and add variety to the scenery, from narrow meanders to broader waterways that create a calm and peaceful atmosphere.
Ride along with us on this virtual bike tour
Virtual cycling through the Hunze Valley lets you experience a varied stream valley landscape, where a winding stream flows through open grasslands and wet nature areas. You ride past seepage rich lowlands with marsh edges and alder woods, alternating with higher sandy grounds, quiet paths and visible traces of historic farmland.
Afterwards, the scenery changes into the Peat Colonies, an open reclamation landscape with straight canals, ditches and ribbon villages. On the indoor trainer, you cycle towards Stadskanaal through wide fields with long sightlines, while small bridges, locks and farmhouses along the waterways reflect the region’s peat history.
Want to learn more about virtual cycling? This is how virtual cycling works
Route map and cycling junctions
Start and finish near bike node 41 on the Hunebedstraat in Borger. Because this is a circular route, you can also start at one of the other cycling junctions along the route.
Distance: 55 km
Estimated riding time: 3 hours 39 minutes
Elevation gain: 69 m
Paved roads: 95%
Unpaved / semi-paved: 5%
Ideal for: e-bikes and city bikes
Along the way: several options for a coffee break or lunch.
