Holiday home in Smilde – History, Routes and Nature

A holiday home in Smilde gives you access to a place where canal history, historic buildings and varied landscapes are closely connected. Smilde originated around 1770 as a canal village, when the reclamation of the Smilder peatlands began. Today, the canal is used only for recreation. This provides clear guidance when choosing your accommodation: Smilde is particularly appealing if you would like to combine culture and peaceful activities with days of cycling or walking.

Holiday home in Smilde between history and nature

The waterway near Smilde is part of the Turfroute, a water route of more than 200 kilometres through Drenthe, Friesland and Overijssel. The Tramweg also recalls the time when a tram line ran along the canal near Smilde. The development of the canal village can therefore be traced not only through individual buildings, but also through its transport and waterways.

Historic routes on foot and by bike

The historic Smilde walking route is a 7.5-kilometre circular walk through Smilde. It passes the Koepelkerk and other historic buildings. From the Polakkenbrug bus stop, it is a five-minute walk to the start of the route. This means the walk combines local history with a manageable distance that can easily fit into a single outing.

For longer tours, the Historische route door de Smildes is an excellent option: the 28.5-kilometre cycling route passes through Bovensmilde, Smilde and Hoogersmilde. In the wider regional area, the 16-kilometre Boswachterspad Olde Smildeger also begins at the car park at Sportlaan 1 in Hoogersmilde. The different route lengths allow you to choose between a short historical walk, an extended hike and a cycling tour through several villages.

For the route to Landgoed Korteweg, you can park at the end of the paved road accessible from Boerenlaan in Smilde; the verge is designated for this purpose. In Kyllotsbos, forests, heathland and grassland alternate. The nature area in the immediate surroundings of Smilde is suitable for short walks and relaxed cycling tours. This means that, alongside the longer routes, quieter experiences in nature are also available.

Architecture and traces of the past

The Koepelkerk is an octagonal domed church built by A. M. Sorgh between 1780 and 1788. Its design was created by Abraham Martinus Sorg. The organ was built by P. van Oeckelen in 1841. Together, the church’s architectural form, period of construction and organ make it a particularly distinctive historic destination along the walking route.

Villa Maria was built in 1893 and became the town hall in 1931. Opposite the Dutch Reformed church stands Boerderij Assen-Rode, a simply designed white-plastered house dating from around 1850. Behind the building, on a plot of land, there is a tomb with inscriptions and remnants of carved reliefs. These sites complement a visit to the church with further traces of the area’s architectural and local history.

The building at Veenhoopsweg 13 in Smilde is a Rijksmonument. Kortewegsbos also preserves a distinctive historic landscape: it has survived as an authentic ontginningslandgoed, meaning an authentic cultivation estate. Choosing accommodation in Smilde therefore offers a varied local character combining listed buildings, canal history and open landscapes.

Other places for planning your trip

If you would like to discover other places in the same regional context in addition to Smilde, you can find Elp, Balinge, Hoogersmilde, Hooghalen, Beilen, Spier, Zwiggelte and Wijster here.

For the overarching travel overview: Midden-Drenthe.