Peat route Borgercompagnie & Veendam
Veendam, Borgercompagnie, Muntendam
Cycle with us through the Groningen peat colonies. Passing vast landscapes, charming villages and old canals, you will experience how this area has developed over the centuries. During this trip you will cycle right through the ‘Oude Veenkoloniën’ nature reserve, a landscape that was formed by centuries of peat extraction. Where once there were vast swamps, a characteristic peat colony landscape emerged with long, straight canals and waterways that were used to transport peat. These waterways, together with the characteristic ribbon villages, give the area a unique appearance. As you cycle, you can still see traces of this past everywhere: dead straight ditches, historic bridges and monumental farms that once belonged to the peat bosses and skippers. This landscape tells the story of hard work, trade and progress. Borgercompagnie is a typical ribbon village of the peat colonies that was founded in the 17th century by citizens of Groningen (‘borgers’) to reclaim the peat. Along the former Borgercompagniesterdiep you can see how elongated the village is: the historic farms are all located along the dead straight canal. Veendam is another town that grew into a flourishing trading centre thanks to peat extraction. In the 17th century it was the centre of the Groningen peat colonies. Education was important in the town from an early age. In the 19th century there was already a wide range of educational opportunities. There was a primary school, secondary schools, supplementary schools, a playgroup, pre-university education, practical school, secondary vocational education, a French and Latin school and a specialised maritime academy. The building that currently houses the Veenkoloniaal Museum was the first ‘Rijks Hoogere Burgerschool’ (national secondary school) in the Netherlands. This type of education had already been established in 1866. This now monumental building opened its doors in 1911. The historic shipyard in Sappemeer also shows that shipping and shipbuilding were important in this region. This industry contributed to local prosperity. Muntendam was founded around a dam in the Munter Ee. This village has its own unique history, in which traders – known as ‘apples’ – travelled through the region with their wares. Here you can experience the transition from the Veenkoloniën to the Oldambt, with panoramic views and waterways criss-crossing the area. Make one last stop at a historical point or an idyllic bench along the route before returning to your starting point. Photo: ©Nationaal Archief
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Borgercompagniesterstraat 2, 9611 KB Midden-Groningen | 40.8 KM | |
|
From
96
to
28
|
4951 M | 5 KM | |
| Head north on Borgercompagniesterstraat | 18 M | ||
| Continue straight | 9 M | ||
| Turn right | 735 M | ||
| Continue onto Noordbroeksterstraat | 25 M | ||
| Turn right | 21 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Noordbroeksterstraat | 9 M | ||
| Continue left onto Noorderstraat | 2.1 KM | ||
| Continue right onto W.A. Scholtenweg | 29 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on W.A. Scholtenweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left to stay on W.A. Scholtenweg | 678 M | ||
| Turn right onto Achter de Wal | 303 M | ||
| You are now at section 28 | 0 M | ||
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From
28
to
20
|
3099 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head west on Poeltjelaan | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight left | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Daaleweg | 121 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Daaleweg | 482 M | ||
| You are now at section 20 | 0 M | ||
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From
20
to
57
|
2373 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head southeast | 738 M | ||
| Continue onto Karsbadde | 264 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Karsbadde | 9 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nieuweweg | 490 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Nieuweweg | 872 M | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
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From
57
to
56
|
815 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head southeast on Het Loeg | 65 M | ||
| Continue slightly left onto Kerkstraat | 709 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oosterweg | 41 M | ||
| You are now at section 56 | 0 M | ||
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From
56
to
60
|
1621 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head northeast on Oosterweg | 16 M | ||
| Turn right onto Bredeweg | 854 M | ||
| Turn left | 751 M | ||
| You are now at section 60 | 0 M | ||
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From
60
to
1
|
948 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head south on Beneden Veensloot | 407 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Beneden Veensloot | 140 M | ||
| Continue straight | 333 M | ||
| Turn left onto Boven Veensloot | 52 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Korte Akkers | 16 M | ||
| You are now at section 01 | 0 M | ||
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From
1
to
24
|
2079 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Korte Akkers | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 24 | 0 M | ||
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From
24
to
25
|
1753 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head south on Vosseveld | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Zuidwending | 289 M | ||
| You are now at section 25 | 0 M | ||
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From
25
to
62
|
484 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head southwest | 115 M | ||
| Continue onto Noorderkwartier | 369 M | ||
| You are now at section 62 | 0 M | ||
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From
62
to
55
|
2780 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head northwest on Ommelanderwijk | 617 M | ||
| Turn right | 110 M | ||
| Turn right | 562 M | ||
| Continue onto Vrijheidsweg | 271 M | ||
| Turn right onto van Stolbergweg | 27 M | ||
| Turn left onto Molenstreek | 493 M | ||
| Continue right onto Blankensteinkade | 43 M | ||
| Turn left | 22 M | ||
| Turn left onto Beneden Oosterdiep | 220 M | ||
| Turn right onto Julianapark | 95 M | ||
| Continue straight | 246 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Kerkplein | 15 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Kerkplein | 59 M | ||
| You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
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From
55
to
97
|
2767 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head west on Kerkstraat | 178 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Prins Hendrikplein | 170 M | ||
| Turn left onto Sorghvlietlaan | 436 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 557 M | ||
| Turn right | 20 M | ||
| Turn left onto Briklaan | 549 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Flora | 245 M | ||
| Turn left | 612 M | ||
| You are now at section 97 | 0 M | ||
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From
97
to
52
|
2212 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head west | 127 M | ||
| Turn right | 167 M | ||
| Turn right | 26 M | ||
| Turn right | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right | 229 M | ||
| Turn left | 78 M | ||
| Turn right | 8 M | ||
| Turn right | 149 M | ||
| Turn left | 64 M | ||
| Turn right | 115 M | ||
| Turn right | 177 M | ||
| You are now at section 52 | 0 M | ||
|
From
52
to
53
|
769 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northwest | 69 M | ||
| Keep left at the fork | 700 M | ||
| You are now at section 53 | 0 M | ||
|
From
53
to
54
|
2110 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head north on Borgercompagnie | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 54 | 0 M | ||
|
From
54
to
36
|
3104 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head northwest on Borgercompagnie | 27 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Borgercompagnie | 458 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 66 M | ||
| Continue onto Borgercompagnie | 353 M | ||
| Continue straight | 207 M | ||
| Turn right onto Tripspad | 1.3 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 340 M | ||
| Continue onto Tripscompagnie | 171 M | ||
| Turn right onto Westerbrink | 141 M | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
5
|
2976 M | 3 KM | |
| Head east on Westerbrink | 760 M | ||
| Turn left | 917 M | ||
| Turn right onto Tolweg | 29 M | ||
| Make a sharp left | 27 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 1.2 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 29 M | ||
| You are now at section 05 | 0 M | ||
|
From
5
to
4
|
1363 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head north | 11 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nieuweweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
|
From
4
to
58
|
903 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Tripscompagniesterweg | 903 M | ||
| You are now at section 58 | 0 M | ||
|
From
58
to
59
|
2208 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head west on Tripscompagniepad | 1.7 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 500 M | ||
| You are now at section 59 | 0 M | ||
|
From
59
to
96
|
1497 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head north on Borgercompagnie | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 96 | 0 M |