Here, in the Heart of Drenthe, you experience true silence and sometimes feel alone in the world. However, you are likely to encounter regular visitors like the crested grebe or dragonfly. Venture into the area and learn more about the rich history and beauty of nature. Discover by bike or on foot what the nature development areas Holmers-Halkenbroek and Grolloërveen have to offer.
Alone in the World
The Grolloërveen is situated in the midst of vast forests, adjacent to the Westerbork memorial camp. It's a great place for walking and cycling, passing various large and small fens. Here, you experience ultimate silence. The only thing you might hear is the birds or frogs moving through the area. Or you might see a deer or fox rushing by. And what about the moor frog, black darter, eared grebe, and adder? They feel completely at home here. Adders particularly enjoy sunbathing along the edges of the path in the spring.
"A day wandering without encountering anyone, where can you still do that? Experience the feeling of being alone in nature."
Kees van Son, Forest Ranger
Longest boardwalk in the Netherlands
In the wet Grolloërveen, parts of the nature area are regularly flooded. That is why a large part of the walking and cycling path is a wooden boardwalk. From this longest boardwalk in the Netherlands, you have a magnificent view. And you hear the beautiful sound of frogs giving a concert. If you pay close attention, you'll see, on the right, in the middle of the woods, a number of bomb craters from World War II.
Close to the boardwalk is a black tjasker, which is a reminder of earlier times. These small Frisian windmills were once used to dry peat so that it could be cut for fuel. Villagers each had their own piece of peatland. This tjasker was in operation at a fen near Rolde until the 1950s. Since 1986, the mill has been in the Grolloërveen. As you continue cycling or walking, you'll see various cobblestone roads running through the woods, dating back to the 1930s.
The Eight of Amen route through forest and meadow
Walking route The Eight of Amen in the Drentsche Aa begins and ends in the village of Amen. You walk two loops through a landscape with flowers, shrubs, and trees that changes color every season. Sturdy shoes and boots are recommended in wet weather
About and through the brook valley Holmers-Halkenbroek
The Holmers-Halkenbroek nature reserve is one of the southernmost source areas of the Drentsche Aa brook system. A few years ago, you would look out here over a straight ditch through potato fields and meadows. In a major nature restoration project, the top layer was excavated and most ditches were filled in. Nowadays you see, among other things, large alder carrs, which are permanently wet and occasionally locally flood, with a lot of black alder. In some parts, only moss grows.
