Odoorn, Dedemsvaart, Ommen

From the collaboration with Flow Collection, a series of four themed cycling routes was created. Each route starts and ends at one of their hotels and is part of a complete cycling package through three provinces. Along the way, nature, culture and local experiences alternate. You can cycle the routes individually, but they also link up beautifully if you follow the full package.

This is the fourth route, from Odoorn to Ommen, largely themed around Het Sleenerzand. The route leads through varied landscapes and shows how nature development and land management shape the diverse Drenthe scenery.

Het Sleenerzand is one of the largest contiguous nature areas in the region. The area consists of heathlands, pine forests and sand drifts, interspersed with burial mounds and a dolmen – reminders of early settlement. The current landscape partly arose from necessity: drifting sands were stabilized in the 19th century by planting conifers, giving the area its enclosed feel. Still, open patches and elevation remain, providing space for junipers and typical heath species. Sheltered in the forest live deer, slow worms and night moths adapted to this terrain. Sleenerzand is a great example of how natural development and historic structure reinforce each other.

Further along, smaller areas contribute to the landscape’s variety: wet meadows, moorland, marsh remnants and young forests alternate. In places like Gees Forestry, deciduous trees dominate the drier areas, while lower zones hold herb-rich hayfields and winding streams. Highland cattle help manage open terrain – their grazing keeps the heath open and diverse. In the lowlands, flower-rich meadows and pools provide habitat for meadow birds and wintering geese. Sometimes a deer appears at the forest edge, a buzzard circles above the fields, or fox tracks show in the tall grass.

This Premium cycling route was curated by our editor Désirée van Uffelen in collaboration with Flow Collection.