Holiday apartment in Hardenberg: Nature, Water and Vechtdal Culture

A holiday apartment in Hardenberg opens up a diverse setting between forests, water, open landscapes and traces of regional history. In Hardenberg’s Vechtpark, the city and nature merge into one. At the same time, the Reest River forms the natural boundary between the municipality of Hardenberg and the province of Drenthe. This means that short and longer excursions take you through very different types of landscape.

Forest, heathland and nature observation

Around Hardenberg, approximately 1,000 hectares of coniferous and deciduous forest stretch across the landscape. The Rheezerbelten form a wooded, wind-built dune landscape with oak coppice woodland. There, you can picnic and wander through the sand. Numerous cycling and hiking trails lead through the surrounding area, offering opportunities to observe deer and birds of prey. The Vloeivelden De Krim wetlands are interesting for birdwatching because they attract rare bird species as well as large flocks of taiga and tundra geese in winter.

The Loozensche Linie also connects nature and culture while once again fulfilling a strategic role. Those who enjoy experiencing landscapes on foot can take the Reestdal hiking route, which starts at the De Wheem visitor centre in Balkbrug and leads through forests, heathland and sandy paths, as well as along waterways.

Cycling routes, art and active days

The Oldemeijer-Landschappenroute passes a body of water, heathland and open countryside with views over the Vecht Valley. For mountain-biking days, there is a 23-kilometre route near Hardenberg that starts and ends at the Oldemeijer car park. Another cycling route passes a buffalo farm in Radewijk, where you can enjoy buffalo ice cream, and eventually reaches Laar in Germany. This allows you to combine exercise with a special culinary stop without making the excursion revolve around just one experience.

Kunstwegen is a 180-kilometre art route with 80 works of art along the Overijsselse Vecht. The associated hiking stages connect, among others, the Hardenberg and Gramsbergen railway stations. Different route lengths help you plan your day according to your interests and desired activity level.

Water activities and family destinations

The De Oldemeijer recreational area is a natural-water swimming lake in a wooded setting. The bottom slopes gradually, so children do not suddenly become completely submerged. In good weather, the kiosk offers snacks, ice cream and drinks. At the harbour of Hardenberg, Expedition Outdoor rents out canoes, SUP boards, sloops and motorboats. Expedition Outdoor also offers canoeing, zip-lining and boot camp activities.

For nature-related discoveries, the De Koppel Nature Activity Centre offers activities such as mushroom excursions and examining owl pellets. Slagharen amusement park complements the range with more than 30 attractions in a Wild West setting. When choosing your holiday apartment, you can therefore weigh up peaceful days in nature, water activities and family-oriented excursions.

Vechtdal history and local traditions

The Historisch Cultureel Vechtdal Info Centrum Gramsbergen presents monuments, landscapes and leisure opportunities while conveying the history of the Vechtdal. A characteristic windmill on a mill mound dates from 1864. On Saturdays and, in summer, also on Wednesday afternoons, you can watch grain being milled there. In another mill, the craft of milling grain has been documented since 1876; the grain is milled for bakers and home bakers throughout the Netherlands.

A museum is housed in Hardenberg’s former town hall, dating from 1805, and displays historic rooms as well as a kitchen from around 1900. A restored industrial building explains how people worked and lived on farms until the middle of the 20th century; old agricultural machines, tools, household items and films are on display there. A museum near the lime kilns includes a schoolhouse, a peat shed and a peat boat. The natural history museum displays around 400 stuffed animals, a nature film and a search rally for children. A local history museum includes, among other things, a living room from the 1920s and 1930s, an old classroom and a general store.

For your further choice of location, you can also discover Ane, Balkbrug, Bergentheim, Gramsbergen, Hardenberg, Lutten, Rheeze, Rheezerveen, Slagharen, Loozen, Sibculo, Schuinesloot, Dedemsvaart, Collendoorn, Diffelen and Bruchterveld.

For the overview of the wider travel region: Overijssel.