Veenland and Bargerveen

The Landscape

After the last Ice Age, the climate grew warmer and wetter, creating vast wetlands in the river valleys of Drenthe and Groningen. Here, peat moss slowly developed into an impressive raised bog stretching from the Hunze to the Ems River. In the Middle Ages, the Bourtangermoeras covered as much as 300,000 hectares, with peat layers up to 12 meters thick in some places. Over the centuries, this unique landscape was dug up for peat extraction, making way for agriculture and forests. Today, the area invites you to explore its rich history and stunning natural beauty.

The Bargerveen is the only large, still living part of the original Bourtangermoeras that has been preserved. This nature reserve covers over 2,000 hectares and contains one of the last remaining patches of living raised bog in the Netherlands. The landscape is characterized by high peat hummocks, vast fields of peat moss, marshes, wet woodlands, and small lakes, creating a diverse environment in an almost untouched and remote area.