Hoogstede, Noord-Sleen, Sleen

The ground you cycle over on this route has a history stretching back thousands of years. You pass through landscapes shaped by ancient forces, nature and human hands. From dolmen builders to the hard-working peat cutters who carved the land into strips. Along the way, you’ll see how Drenthe’s culture evolved from prehistoric rituals to modern nature conservation.

In the traditional es villages like Sleen, you’ll spot old farmhouses clustered around the village green and church. The surrounding essen were built up over generations with compost and sods, like a living museum of agricultural history.

The southern part of Drenthe and the borderland near Schoonebeek were once part of a vast, almost mythical peat area. For centuries, it was an impassable swamp. In the 17th century, large-scale peat extraction began to produce turf, a precious fuel at the time.

Where peat wagons once rolled, you now find peaceful nature reserves. The new era has transformed the old ground: barns that once stored drying turf now house stories, archaeology or local culture. Visit the library in Sleen, or explore traditional farm life at the Zandstrooiboerderij in Schoonebeek, where the practice of “sand spreading” is shown as both household habit and artistic tradition. Plenty to discover!