Cycling route Rug van Zuidwolde and Reest Valley
Cycle through a beautiful and varied landscape of winding stream valleys, flower-rich meadows, historic hedgerows, forests, heathlands, and tranquil pools.
The Landscape
The Rug van Zuidwolde is a distinctive sandy ridge formed during the penultimate Ice Age. Around the historic village of Zuidwolde, this created a gently undulating landscape with subtle elevation changes, woodland strips, and open stretches that reveal ever-changing views and give the route a natural rhythm. Toward Staphorst, the scenery shifts to a characteristic strip landscape with long, narrow fields, drainage ditches, and farmyard planting, interspersed with forest and heathland edges.
Between Zuidwolde and Staphorst lies the Reest Valley, an ancient border landscape on the transition from Drenthe to Overijssel. Where wet carr woodlands and marshy zones once dominated, medieval reclamation created fields and hay meadows, with hedgerows and coppice woodlands as defining features. The meandering Reest accompanies the route as a gentle lowland stream, making this area especially appealing for those who enjoy small-scale nature, cultural history, and quiet roads.
What You’ll Discover Along the Way
On the Rug van Zuidwolde, you cycle through sheltered forest sections and past open patches of heath, with subtle elevation changes that add relief to the landscape. The contrast between light and shade, and between open edges and dense forest lanes, makes this part of the route surprisingly varied.
Along the route, you encounter historic farmsteads, old farmhouses, and estate structures that tell the story of centuries of land use. Church paths, hedgerows, and distinctive field boundaries give the area around Zuidwolde and the Reest Valley an authentic, timeless character.
In the Reest Valley, the landscape opens out into hay meadows, flower-rich pastures, and fields along the stream. With its quiet roads and open views, this is a place to cycle at ease through a mosaic of green, with the stream and hedgerows providing a natural frame throughout.
The Reest accompanies parts of the route as a winding line through the valley, creating a constantly changing landscape. Water, banks, and wet grasslands add variety and give the Reest Valley its characteristic stream-valley atmosphere.
Ride along with us on this virtual bike tour
Virtual cycling through the Rug van Zuidwolde lets you enjoy a varied landscape at home on your indoor trainer, right on the border of Drenthe and Overijssel. You ride over a gently undulating sandy ridge formed during the Ice Age, passing woodland strips, open fields, heathland edges, and quiet pools, with ever-changing views along the way.
This is followed by the Reest Valley, a small-scale stream valley landscape with hedgerows, coppice woodlands, and old paths that give the area its character. The Reest winds as a gentle lowland stream through flower-rich hay meadows and pastures, creating a distinctive blend of nature, heritage, and quiet country roads along the way, ideal for previewing a real ride or simply bringing an outdoor feel into your home.
Want to learn more about virtual cycling? THIS IS HOW VIRTUAL CYCLING WORKS
Route map and cycling junctions
Start and finish near cycling junction 74 at the Leeuwenveenseweg in Veeningen. Because this is a circular route, you can also start at one of the other cycling junctions along the route.
Distance: 57 km
Estimated riding time: 3 hours 48 minutes
Elevation gain: 66 m
Paved roads: 82%
Unpaved / semi-paved: 18%
Ideal for: e-bikes and city bikes
Along the way: several options for a coffee break or lunch.
