Holiday apartment in Oldeholtpade: Forest, Water and History

Oldeholtpade combines a turbulent history with a diverse landscape. The Stephanuskerk, the Wilfred Berry Memorial and De Wandelbos each add a distinctive character, while the Scheene, Scheltingapolder and the Linde shape the natural environment. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Oldeholtpade, you can therefore base your choice of location on the interests of your travel group: architectural and memorial history, forest landscapes, or walking and cycling routes connected to waterways.

Church and memorial culture in Oldeholtpade

The Stephanuskerk in Oldeholtpade is a late Gothic church with a western tower. It is therefore a prominent example of ecclesiastical architectural history in the village. For visitors who also want to explore their surroundings through historical impressions, the church provides an independent cultural point of reference.

The Wilfred Berry Memorial represents another form of remembrance. It commemorates the Canadian soldier Wilfred Berry, who fell here on 12 April 1945. The memorial is designed as a commemorative column and features a maple leaf and a photograph of Berry. In Oldeholtpade, it stands on the Hoofdweg towards Wolvega. The combination of personal remembrance, a Canadian symbol and a specific location gives this memorial a distinctive historical significance.

De Wandelbos and the landscape east of the village

De Wandelbos lies east of Oldeholtpade and is the village’s largest forest area. Many holly trees are characteristic of this forest. De Wandelbos consists of several connected coppice plots. They are the remains of a forest area that covered a large part of the so-called Pastoriegoederen before the land reclamation work carried out by Pastor Hofstee. In this way, the present-day forest structure and the older landscape history meet directly.

Walking and cycling along the Scheene and Linde

The Scheene also leaves historical traces in the landscape. It was dug in the Middle Ages, among other reasons to mark the boundary between the villages of Oldeholtpade and Ter Idzard. The access road and cycle path form the Scheenebospad circular cycling route. Those who enjoy alternating between a historical exploration of a village and a more active exploration of the landscape during their trip will find two clearly distinct themes here.

The Scheltingapolder is also located near Oldeholtpade. This nature reserve covers approximately 48 hectares in the Linde stream valley. The Scheltingapolder viewing mound can be reached via a walking route maintained by It Fryske Gea; at the same time, access to the polder is restricted. This restriction is just as much a part of realistic planning as the stream valley’s distinctive natural environment.

Another route through the landscape is provided by the Mildam–Oldeholtpade–Ter Idzard walking route. It then follows the Tsjonger, crosses the Bospad and continues along the Scheene. When preparing a day out, this makes it possible to connect various landscape elements mentally: the course of the Tsjonger, the forest path and the medieval character of the Scheene.

The right holiday apartment for planning your trip

When looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Oldeholtpade, it is worth deciding first what you would like to focus on. For culture-oriented days, the Stephanuskerk and Wilfred Berry Memorial offer different historical points of interest. Those who want to focus on nature and the landscape can include De Wandelbos, the Scheene and the Linde stream valley in their plans. For walking-oriented itineraries, the routes via the Bospad and along the Tsjonger and Scheene are relevant. You should also take the restricted access to the Scheltingapolder into account. In this way, the specific features of the village provide a clear basis for choosing accommodation that matches your preferred holiday pace.

Other places at this destination level: Boijl, Wolvega, Oldetrijne, Scherpenzeel, Nijeholtpade, Noordwolde, Zandhuizen, Munnekeburen.

For the higher-level travel overview: Weststellingwerf.