Drachten, Donkerbroek, Ureterp

How do you cycle from Drachten to Moscow and back with only 55 kilometres on the counter? This surprising cycle route through Friesland takes you along special places! No worries, you don’t need Russian, Frisian will do. Moscow is actually a hamlet, named after a farm that got this name as a wink to Russia. Nearby also lies the hamlet Petersburg, whose name perhaps refers to the 18th-century peat cutter Pieter Blaauw. Or still to the famous Russian city Saint Petersburg? It remains a mystery.

During your cycle route you pass through Bakkeveen, where you pass the historic Sterrenschans. This unique defensive work from the 18th century, with its characteristic star shape, was meant to fend off enemy invasions, but was never really used in war.

Drachten itself also has a surprising art historical meaning. In the 1920s the city played an important role in the modern art movement De Stijl. Theo van Doesburg worked here together with the Rinsema brothers and designed interiors in the Papegaaien neighbourhood. Make a stop at Museum Dr8888 and let yourself be inspired by the art of De Stijl and the rich cultural history of the region.