The Kop van Drenthe is a region where natural beauty and rich history come together. Shaped by the last Ice Age, the landscape offers a striking variety of forests, heathlands, grasslands, raised bogs, marshes and stream valleys. Historic manor houses surrounded by woods, heath and moats add a distinctive character, while burial mounds, urn fields and prehistoric field patterns reveal traces of a much older past.

The Onlanden forms a vast nature reserve of more than 2,300 hectares, where water management and nature development go hand in hand. Marshes, grasslands, hedgerows and old peat pits create a varied landscape full of contrast. During periods of heavy rainfall, the Onlanden acts as a natural water buffer, storing excess water and helping protect the city of Groningen from flooding. Together, the Kop van Drenthe and De Onlanden offer a fascinating combination of nature, history and Dutch water management.