Holiday apartment in Tynaarlo: nature, water and culture

The municipality of Tynaarlo is located in the north of the province of Drenthe, within the UNESCO Global Geopark De Hondsrug. Between the Hondsrug, stream valleys, forests, bodies of water and historic sites, this municipality presents a diverse landscape. The 37 km Zuidlaren cycling route crosses the Hondsrug to Lake Zuidlaardermeer and passes through Noordlaren, Midlaren and Zuidlaren. Another route, “De tien van Tynaarlo: Hart van Tynaarlo”, is 11 km long and conveys a varied impression of the municipality’s vastness, stream valleys, brooks and forests.

Nature and trails

The Wedbroeken hiking route follows the Schipborgsche Diep and the Zeegserloopje. It also passes through a stream valley with hay meadows, pools and a sand drift. Toegangspoort Wedbroeken is the northern gateway to Drentsche Aa National Park and offers, among other things, parking facilities and an information point.

De Onlanden is a nature and water-retention area rich in birds, with an observation tower. The De Onlanden hiking route begins nearby at De Onlanderij, Madijk 1 in Eelderwolde. This means that both open water and wetlands and paths through a stream and valley landscape can be found alongside one another in this area.

Water

Lake Zuidlaardermeer offers opportunities for swimming, sailing and windsurfing. The lake is also the destination of the 37 km Zuidlaren cycling route, which crosses the Hondsrug and passes through Noordlaren, Midlaren and Zuidlaren.

Culture and history

Vries Church is probably, together with Anloo Church, one of the oldest churches in Drenthe. It partly dates from the 11th century. In the Eelde/Paterswolde country estate area, the prosperity of Groningen’s elite in the 18th and 19th centuries can still be felt; the area is designated as a protected village landscape.

Vosbergen Museum displays a collection of around 1,000 musical instruments. Visitors receive a headset there, allowing them to explore the collection at their own pace. The Internationaal Klompenmuseum offers guided tours of the museum for individual visitors or small groups.

De Braak Estate features a hedge maze and a beech berceau, an intertwined leafy arbour structure. The park is a listed monument and was designed in the 19th century by landscape architect Roodbaard. The Paterswolde Country Estate Route passes, among other places, De Braak Estate, Friesche Veen, Vennebroek and Vosbergen Estate.

At the Drents Museum De Buitenplaats in Eelde, Art Nouveau is the central theme. The starting point is the Drents Museum’s art collection in Assen from around 1900. The complex includes the museum garden, the remarkable 17th-century Nijsinghhuis with murals by Northern figurative artists, the orangery and Brasserie Röling.

The archaeological monument De Waterburcht in Eelde marks the site of a motte, meaning a castle on a man-made mound. The likely residents were the Schulten or Schouten of Eelde; in the 13th and 14th centuries, they administered justice in this part of Drenthe. The De Wachter museum complex includes four operational steam engines.

At Hunebed D6, all the large stones are still exactly where they were placed more than 5,000 years ago. Hunebed D6 is somewhat more difficult to reach by car.

Museums and experiences

Speelpark Sprookjeshof in Zuidlaren offers an indoor and an outdoor playground. The amusement park also includes a fairy-tale forest, where visitors can walk through various fairy-tale scenes. A petting zoo with goats, alpacas and deer is also part of the park’s attractions.

More local pages

For further navigation at this destination level, you can visit the local pages Eelderwolde, Midlaren, Zeegse, Zuidlaren, Paterswolde, Tynaarlo, Vries and Eelde.

To the higher-level travel overview: Drenthe.