Would you like to go graveling in beautiful Drenthe? That's a good idea. The province of Drenthe is rich in beautiful gravel routes. Not only National Park De Drentsche AA or the Dwingelderveld, but also the rest of the region offers beautiful gravel paths. In our 12 months, 12 parks, 12 provinces collaboration with Landal GreenParks, we are settling down near Orvelte, in the beautiful Landal Orveltermarke. This park is the 'gateway to gravel heaven' in Drenthe. We have created two beautiful gravel routes in Drenthe for you.
On to the Drentsche Aa
On Saturday morning, a chilly morning in October, it is time for the first reconnaissance round. The route I created pulls through the Schoonloo forestry towards Borger. If you ride this route in summer, then the ice cream parlour in Borger is your place to be. According to its own words and the jury, the best ice cream parlour in Drenthe. In my ode to the Drentsche Dorpen I was already in the area. So I can only confirm that the ice cream is really tasty. Cycle route in Drenthe: Ode to the villages of Drenthe.
Back to the start of the route for a moment. Via the outskirts of Orvelte, I head towards Schoonloo. Although according to the map the Drentsche Aa National Park is much higher up, there is already a sign saying 'Welcome' here. I am surprised but also happy. This means a beautiful route ahead! Through the forest here you come across beautiful gravel paths. Elongated, sometimes they are overgrown cobblestone paths, other times real wet sandy tracks. It froze the night before and the cold north wind that day makes for particularly beautiful images, but also a cold ride. It could be because of the sparsely populated region, or the weather, but I encounter exceptionally few people. Let alone cyclists. That's what makes this route and this area so nice. You can be alone for a while here.
All alone for a while.
Being alone can come in many forms. On my adventure route, a bit of 'hike a bike' is part of the fun. During that little hike, I also see the typical 'cabiner' cottages. Here you can be all alone. So except for those crazy gravel bikers who come everywhere. After Borger, it continues through the forestries. Exloo and Odoorn are also on the route. It is full of enjoyment. After more than 43 kilometres and two hours of meandering, I turn the bike back into the park. My family is waiting for me happily, because when dad comes back, it's swimming time! Lovely, then.
Day 2 - a long round through West Drenthe
What a difference a day makes, they sometimes say. Whereas on Saturday I still emerged with buffs, overshoes, head cap and thick winter clothes, Sunday is almost spring-like. How hot! For this ride, I brought the summer trousers with leg warmers. That is a perfect choice, as it will be almost 15 degrees that day. The difference is bizarre.
For the gravel route, it makes little difference in the end. From the start, we head back towards Orvelte but then take a nice loop through the Sleenerzand towards Aalden and Nieuw-Ballinge. It won't surprise you, but here too, the most beautiful gravel strips are up for grabs. Drenthe has so much beauty to offer for the gravel enthusiast. Also off the known and beaten track. We then go along the canal, where there are partly gravel and partly asphalt paths. Nice to ride, then combine with friends with road bikes.
Stopover at the Clipper
You can still be surprised, especially in Drenthe. The number of coffee stops is limited when cruising through the woods. So on our gravel route through western Drenthe, we take the first opportunity. At about 50 kilometres of the 75 kilometres total, we pass through Zwiggelte. There we stop at Restaurant de Klipper. From the outside, it looks like an average village pub. Usually, then, the most exotic thing is a cappuccino. No oatmeal lite here. But we are pleasantly surprised. Inside, we are cheerfully welcomed by the staff. Frankly, we do pull the average age down hard. The menu offers much more than just a coffee with milk. To top it all off, there is a real Christmas market, fanatically touted by the manageress: 'so nice, all by local people, really cosy.' The photo speaks for itself. The coffee with the apple tart (home-baked) and non-alcoholic liqueur is delicious.
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Into the woods again
After the obligatory visit to the market (which is actually quite nice), we set off again. The best part of the route is still ahead of us. The forestry near Hooghalen is to put through a ring. But here you can also find a piece of dark history of the Netherlands. The forests of Hooghalen are also home to the former camp Westerbork. This 'Durchgangslager' was used by the German occupation forces to prepare transports to Auschwitz and Sobibor, among others. There is a long path, with memorial poles to almost all the transports. They are not just any poles; they are old railway sleepers, on the spot where the railway line ran. The dates speak for themselves. We stop for a moment, not just to look, but also out of respect for the many people who began their final journey here. In total, more than 100,000 people were transported here.
Repack
Personally, I find places like this very impressive. I sometimes cannot fathom that as a human being you can be so heartless towards others. That you know you are literally going to kill 100s of people. But war and a created system unfortunately bring out the least beautiful side in people. We need stop thinking about that for a moment as we turn further into the forests. For our route is already coming to an end. We ride part of the route from day one in reverse. So we pass through Schoonloo again and so back to the park. You can say what you want, but this gravel route in Drenthe May really be high on your to-do list.
The park and our accommodation
The park Orveltermarke is located a few kilometres outside Orvelte. This museum village is definitely worth a visit, but if you're looking for a supermarket, you'll find it in Westerbork, further afield. Here you will also find some nice restaurants for a bite to eat and a drink. So the park is located outside, but is very spacious. There are two large welcome buildings. In one you will find the reception, the restaurant and the swimming pool. The other building houses a snack bar, the children's entertainment area and the large indoor playground. By the way, there is also the rinse-off area for bikes. Handy!
The house is a beautiful 6-person bungalow. There are four of us, so there is plenty of room. There is also a small shed, where you can leave your bike
Landal GreenParks Orveltermarke - Gravel routes in Drenthe
In the collection below, you will find all the routes we created in collaboration with Landal GreenParks for our 12 months - 12 provinces - 12 parks collaboration. Not only gravel routes, but also road bike routes, throughout the country. Take advantage of them! So in this collection, you will also find the gravel routes in Drenthe that we have ridden.
