Holiday apartment in Bronneger: Hunebeds, Paths and History

Bronneger combines village history with a dense sequence of archaeological evidence. The esdorp, which originated in the Middle Ages as a daughter settlement of Drouwen, was first mentioned in official documents in 1381. The Voorste Diep flows east of Bronneger; a medieval stone road was excavated in its valley in 1978. Five hunebeds stand close together on the Steenakkersweg; both groups are therefore located along the same local road connection.

Between Hunebeds and Archaeological Traces

The D21 and D22 hunebed group near Bronneger is an archaeological Rijksmonument. D21 and D22 form what is known as a twin group. D23, D24 and D25 form a triangular group; because of the vegetation around the hunebeds, this shape is no longer clearly visible. Hunebed D21 is particularly complete among the five hunebeds, and most of the archaeological finds were made there. Within the D23–D25 group, hunebed D25 is still very complete.

Pottery shards and other archaeological materials from the 19th century found at hunebeds D23, D24 and D25 can now be viewed at the British Museum in London. The Hunebedcentrum Museum is located in the immediate vicinity of Bronneger and complements the archaeological perspective on the region. For those interested in culture, archaeological sites, a medieval stone road and 20th-century buildings can be experienced together.

Paths with Specific Orientation

From Bronneger, the Steenakkersweg leads to the group of hunebeds D23, D24 and D25 and becomes a sandy track. On the Steenakkersweg, D21 and D22 are on the right, after passing D23, D24 and D25, in a separate field with large trees. The signposted Bijvoetpad is 13.5 km long and not paved throughout. This means that visits and a longer hike can already be planned differently based on the road conditions described. Anyone planning to complete the Bijvoetpad therefore takes not only the route length but also the surface, which is not paved throughout, into account when planning the day. The two details help distinguish the hike as a separate outing from a brief visit to the hunebeds.

Further Traces of Cultural History

The former Ophaalbrug Bronnegerveen was built in 1927 over the Buinen-Schoonoord canal east of Bronneger. It is of cultural-historical significance as an example of infrastructural and civil engineering development in Drenthe. The Krimpenboerderij Bronneger 1927 is a farm with an outbuilding in a restrained variant of the Amsterdam School style.

Places to Visit in the Surrounding Area

The historic Westerbork transit camp site and Fort Van Galenschans / Poepenhemeltje are located in the vicinity of Bronneger. Wedderborg Castle is located in the wider regional surroundings of Bronneger. The immediate vicinity also includes Bloemendellen Park and Boswachterij Gieten Park. Het Zwanemeer Park and Boswachterij Odoorn Park are also located in the surrounding area.

Discover More Places

For further orientation in the region, you can also visit Tweede Exloërmond, Exloo, Odoornerveen, Drouwen, Odoorn, Buinen, Ees and Klijndijk.

For the overarching travel overview: Borger-Odoorn.