Mantingerveld and Hoogeveense Venen

The Landscape

Thousands of years ago, the Hoogeveense Venen were an impenetrable expanse of raised peat bogs. Today, the landscape unfolds in rich variety, where cultivated land and original nature blend in seamless harmony. The Mantingerveld is a remarkable nature reserve, a rare remnant of the open heathlands of Drenthe. By merging smaller patches of wilderness, a vast and continuous heathland has been created, where nature is given the space to return to its former glory.

The clean, rectangular lines of the Hoogeveense Venen reveal a history shaped by centuries of peat cutting. Straight canals, ditches, roads, and peat-colony villages define the landscape. At its heart lies Boswachterij Gees, a 1,600-hectare nature reserve established in the 1930s. Here, you wander through stately deciduous forests, interspersed with heathlands and tranquil fens. The landscape gently transitions into a restored stream valley, with flowing marshes, flower-rich meadows, and a quiet lake where birds feel at home.