Holiday apartment in Spier: Dwingelderveld, trails and history

Spier is an interesting choice if you want your stay to combine nature trails, cycling and history. On the other side of the main road from Spier begins the extensive Dwingelderveld National Park. The former area of shifting sands was planted with trees at the beginning of the 20th century, creating a landscape of forest, heathland and peat lakes. This alone shows how closely nature experiences and landscape history are connected here. When choosing a holiday apartment in Spier, you can therefore focus on the experiences you want to shape your stay.

Holiday apartment in Spier for days in nature at Dwingelderveld

Natuurpoort Spier is the gateway to Dwingelderveld National Park. Various cycling and walking routes start at Natuurpoort Spier. One specific walking idea is the “Boswandeling Spier”: it is 5.5 kilometres long and leads through a forest in Dwingelderveld that was planted from 1925 onwards. For cycling days, the “Fietsroute Dwingelderveld (Audioroute)” starts at the visitor centre in Spier and runs almost entirely along separate cycle paths. The “Familiepad Dwingelderveld” walking path is easily accessible for wheelchair users. This allows you to choose between different routes according to your preferred pace and mobility.

Spier also offers a clearly defined experience for families with children. “The Nature Game Drenthe” starts at Van der Valk Spier, Oude Postweg 8, in Spier. Along the way, you watch videos, solve puzzles and take part in interactive games. The game can be played from the age of 8; children aged 6 and over can participate when accompanied by an adult or an older sibling. The “Buiten Bereik Route: Spier” runs through Dwingelderveld National Park and includes the special seating area “Zinzitter”. There, you can sit for a while and do nothing – a quiet counterpoint to an active stretch of the route.

History between monument and farmhouse

The monument in Spier commemorates the French military serviceman Jean Salomo Simons, who was killed on 11 April 1945 during the liberation of the village; it is dedicated to Jean Salomo Simons and Claudius Campan. The monument in Spier is located on Moraineweg between the cycle path and the road, level with Hotel de Woudzoom. The memorial cross in the forest near Spier commemorates 21 civilians from Spier who were shot during a reprisal action by the occupying forces during the Second World War. One of the oldest surviving farmhouses in Spier is a hall house farmhouse from the 18th century on De Steegde, with a barn and a detached Stookhok; it was converted into a residential house.

When choosing accommodation in Spier, you can compare these highlights with your travel plans. Those who want to experience forest, heathland and peat lakes can include Dwingelderveld and the routes that run through it. Those travelling by bicycle can plan the audio route at the visitor centre; anyone needing an easily accessible walking option can consider the Familiepad. For families, the age rule for the Nature Game Drenthe is useful, while the Zinzitter seating area on the Buiten Bereik Route offers a description of a peaceful moment. This allows you to tailor your choice of a holiday apartment in Spier to your preferred mix of nature, activity, family-oriented game ideas and historic sites.

Choose more destinations

For further travel planning, you can also consider Smilde, Mantinge, Witteveen, Hoogersmilde, Wijster, Zwiggelte, Elp and Westerbork.

To the overarching travel overview: Midden-Drenthe.