Here, in the Heart of Drenthe, you experience true silence and sometimes feel alone in the world. However, there is a good chance you will encounter regular visitors like the great crested grebe or dragonfly. Explore the area and learn more about the rich history and beauty of nature. Discover by bike, on foot, or from the observation tower what the nature development area Holmers-Halkenbroek and the Grolloërveen have to offer.
Alone in the world
The Grolloërveen is located in the middle of vast forests, next to the Westerbork remembrance camp. You can enjoy walking and cycling here, passing through various large and small fens. Here you experience ultimate silence. The only thing you might hear are the birds or frogs moving through the area. Or you might see a deer or fox rushing by. And how about the moor frog, black darter, eared grebe, and adder? They feel completely at home here. Adders especially love to sunbathe along the edges of the path in spring.
"A day of wandering without meeting anyone, where is that still possible? Experience the feeling of being alone in nature."
Kees van Son, Ranger
Longest Boardwalk in the Netherlands
In the wet Grolloërveen, parts of nature are regularly submerged underwater. Therefore, a large portion of the walking and cycling path is a wooden boardwalk. From this longest boardwalk in the Netherlands, you have a magnificent view. And you can hear the beautiful sound of frogs giving a concert. If you pay close attention, you can see on the right side, in the middle of the woods, a number of bomb craters from World War II.
Near the boardwalk lies a black tjasker, which is a reminder of earlier times. These small Frisian windmills were once used to drain peat so that people could cut it for fuel. Each village resident owned a small piece of peatland. This tjasker was in service until the 1950s in a fen near Rolde. Since 1986, the mill has stood in the Grolloërveen. As you continue to cycle or walk, you see various cobblestone roads running through the woods that date back to the 1930s of the last century.
Veenpluis Route through the Heart of Drenthe
The veenpluis route takes you along the fens in the Heart of Drenthe. You pass spots with still water, where in the summer dragonflies hover and in the winter trees are reflected. The 7-kilometer route starts at the P-place Zandspeelplaats, Blankeveen in Grolloo.
About and Through the Stream Valley Holmers-Halkenbroek
Nature reserve Holmers-Halkenbroek is one of the southernmost source areas of the Drentsche Aa stream system. A few years ago, you would look out over a straight ditch through potato fields and meadows here. During a large nature restoration project, the top layer was excavated, and most ditches were filled in. Nowadays, you can see substantial wet forests here, which are permanently wet and occasionally flood locally, with many black alders. In some areas, only moss grows.
Rising to Great Heights
From the air, you might experience Holmers-Halkenbroek at its best. Climb the observation tower and enjoy an impressive view from a height of 14 meters over both the Holmers and Halkenbroek areas as well as the Grolloërveen. But also take a moment to appreciate the observation tower itself. Thanks to its special design, the structure received the wood innovation award in 2006.
You can only reach the observation tower by walking or cycling. Cars disrupt the signal of the radio observatory in this region and are therefore prohibited. From the parking lot at the T-junction Halkenbroeken-Soartendijk in Grolloo, you walk to the observation tower in about fifteen minutes.