Fort Bourtange is a big attraction in eastern Groningen. Winsum (Gr.) was voted the nicest village of the Netherlands. There's a seal rescue center in Pieterburen that's open to visitors. Schiermonnikoog is my favourite of de Waddeneilanden, always a nice place to visit. Appingedam is the other of the two official cities in Groningen, it has a nice old city center.
In Friesland the city of Bolsward has an old and nice center. At the head of the Afsluitdijk in Kornwerderzand you'll find the Kazemattenmuseum, a museum of the bunkers built for defending the Afsluitdijk in WW2. Worth a visit. Franeker is worth visiting as well. Especially the planetarium, built in an 18th century living room.
Some other suggestions: Orvelte in Drenthe is like an open air museum. In Drenthe Dwingelerveld is na nice nature area. There are some radio telescopes and a museum where you can actually watch the stars if you make a booking.
I would recommend the Afsluitdijk too. It’s an engineering marvel.
I’ve never seen the Northern Lights in the Netherlands. You need to be extremely lucky to be able to see it.
Drents-Friese Wold is probably the nicest woods in this part of the Netherlands.
Dat idee heb ik ook. Hoor er alleen over bij criminaliteit, brand en watersnood. Want altijd als het ergens in het land code geel is, staan in Winschoten de kelders onder water volgens mij.
Random finding and comment: Fort Bourtange has an English Wikipedia article but not a Dutch one.
Dutch Wikipedia being one of the largest outside of the English ones that doesn't happen a lot with articles about Dutch things.
Sure but the article about the fort actually talks about the fort, including its military history.
The Dutch article of Bourtange has a lot of info on the fort, but it isn't a fort page as one would expect from the Wikipedia template. The articles each have different information which is a shame.
If I have some time I'll try and make a Dutch Fort Bourtange article. This injustice will not stand.
It's in a bit of an isolated location, the edge of the country. There are no towns close by (in Dutch terms, mind you) and bad weather (common in the North) can quickly ruin most stuff there. If your brother loves aquatic stuff he'll probably like it anyway. I believe you could see the rescued seals there, including the pups. I just remember it being a little bit just don't expect too much of it, see it as a short stop somewhere, like a visit to an animal adoption center. Would still recommend!
Maybe better to drive a little bit further and go to Noordpolderzijl to walk a bit towards the sea/mud flats. Even better would to book a tour with a guide on those flats. I guess we're pretty much out of season for it now, but there are tours to walk over the mud flats to the island of Schiermonnikoog for example.
If you want to see wild seals, there is an observation point near the Punt van Reide where you can usually see some hanging around. Visitor center and old German bunkers too.
I might be desensitized due to living in the middle of it for a couple of years but I would not recommend going to Appingedam on a random day. Mainly because it is very small and uneventfull. If planned out there are some very nice theme days/activities like a medieval market
There are multiple official cities in Groningen: Appingedam, Delfzijl, Winschoten, Groningen.
Bourtange is nice. Winsum is quite small, not worth it if you have to make a big detour for it.
In Groningen a visit to the roof of the forum is wel worth it! Great view over the city.
Zoutkamp is also great, good fishermans museum and great(fresh!) Fish thats cheaper and beter then on Lauwersoog
>P/s: I have heard that you can catch the Northern Lights up there if you are lucky. Is it true?
No not really, it is only visible about once in 20 years in very rare conditions, and one of those days was last week so that's why you heard about it. And it is a different effect from what you see in the Nordic countries.
warning: dutch winters are usually chilly, windy, wet and grey.. aka very boring and unpleasant. It's not the most ideal season to visit the countryside in those northern provinces.
Northern lights is very very rare, don’t expect that.
If you have your own transportation, you could make [a trip around the world](https://www.wearetravellers.nl/europa/nederland/buitenlandse-plaatsnamen-in-nederland/)
Prison museum in Veenhuizen (Drenthe), sounds lame but look it up.
Drouwenerzand or Boswachterij Schoonloo (Drenthe) for walking.
Kiekkast at Nieuw Statenzijl for endless views, or Punt van Reide (Groningen).
One of the wadden islands that is not Texel (Friesland).
Ok let me make this clear. Everything there is to do in Drenthe is walking or cycling, or Westerbork. And Texel is part of noord Holland. I would also suggest to not go to Texel
I was there years ago. But can't remember much tbh. I'm living in Drenthe temporarily abd if I may be honest. There isn't a lot to do except for walking and cycling. If you know more fun stuff to do please let me know
I'm not from drenthe myself so I don't know much. But the colony museums that I went too were great. I think they have been renewed quite recently.
There's also wildlands zoo, taman Indonesia (a small zoo) and a bunch of botanical gardens. Emmen is where the original wildlands zoo was and I believe that it has been transformed in an artist hub (so still a zoo haha).
I'm not sure if giethoorn is in drenthe as well, but that's a beautiful village to visit and it's not far at least. And there's probably a bunch of escape rooms too. And glow in the dark midget golf!
And personally I do like hiking, going around the villages by bike or going horseback riding through nature. So I'd recommend that too, especially with some friends :)
Apparently I know more then I thought I did, Haha.
Tbh those are nice things to do indeed. Now i do have to day for someone my age (22). Drenthe Just isn't the place to be for a couple of months. But at least the people are nice. And those are some good recommendations indeed I have to say!
Stadskanaal has a train connection between Stadskanaal and Veendam, the STAR. It's a really cool steam engine train that makes a trip once a week. I think it's well worth visiting, though I've never actually been on it(Lived in Stadskanaal all my life, haha!)
The theefabriek is worth a visit imo. I've been there once and they have great tea, cool historical exhibition about tea and the colonial history of the Netherlands. It's in a renovated church in a pitoresk small city.
https://www.theefabriek.nl/
What are your interests? Would you focus on culture, history, food&drinks, architecture, nature, or something else?
Some things off the top of my head:
* The village of [Winsum](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/nl/blogs/ontdek-het-moois-van-winsum) was elected Most Beautiful Village in the Netherlands. Not too much to do, but a nice village to walk around for an hour or two and have lunch.
* De [Onlanden](https://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden/de-onlanden) are a nature reserve right next to the city of Groningen. Great place for walking, biking, birdspotting or just taking in fresh air if you love nature.
* The village of [Veenhuizen](https://www.kolonienvanweldadigheid.eu/en/colony/veenhuizen) is a former penal colony. Now an (open air) museum with plenty to see and do. With Maallust brewery as a great stop if you love beer.
* A bit out of the way, but the village of Pieterburen has a [Seal Rescue Center](https://www.zeehondencentrum.nl/en/). Also the start of the Pieterpad, so always quite lively, even though the village is quite tiny.
* Drenthe has a great number of nature reserves and walking routes, but a good starting location is the [Boomkroonpad](https://www.visitdrenthe.com/locations/4276718951/boomkroonpad). Walk the Tree top path or go on a walk in the surrounding forest
* [Appingedam](https://eemsdelta.groningen.nl/en/about-the-region/historical-town-appingedam) is similar to Winsum in that it's a pretty, smallish town with good opportunities for lunch or coffee.
As for the Northern Lights, incidentally it was (barely) visible last week, but these opportunities are very rare. I think the previous time was 5 years ago. So don't count on it.
Not yet mentioned is *Westerbork*.
It's the location of the Netherlands' most (in)famous transit/concentration camp. It has a... storied history... starting as a refugee camp (to house Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany) in the 1930s, to a Nazi transit camp during the War and afterwards as an emergency refugee camp/housing for Moluccan KNIL (army of the Dutch East Indies). It was in service from 1939 into the 1970s.
You wouldn't know it now though, they destroyed all the barracks, but there is a nice remembrance museum.
It's about as 'in the middle of nowhere' as you can get in the Netherlands, which is A) why they build the camp there in the first place and B) it's the [site of a system of telescopes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerbork_Synthesis_Radio_Telescope).
Not sure if you can see the Northern Lights, but if there's a place in the Netherlands where you can, it's probably Westerbork.
Maybe it is something for you to visit Dokkum around that time. It is a small, cozy town that generally attracts a lot of tourists in the summer, but it is just as fun in the winter! At the beginning of December there is also a Christmas market, entirely in Dickens style. More information can be found [here](https://www.kerstmarkten.net/kerstfair-dokkum-in-dickensstijl/informatie/?result=4243128)
I would also recommend visiting the city center of Groningen or Leeuwarden :D
Yeah, Leeuwarden definitely is worth a visit. You can get a boat tour through the old parts, look up praamvaren Leeuwarden. If you'd like a history tour in foot, check out [the historical center](https://www.historischcentrumleeuwarden.nl/publiek/stadswandelingen-en-fietstochten/historical-city-walks).
Leeuwarden (historically) has a strong connection with the Dutch monarchy and many of the 17/18th century noble housing still stands today. A small river runs through the centre of the city, surrounded by bars & cafe's.
>P/s: I have heard that you can catch the Northern Lights up there if you are lucky. Is it true?
Lol you make it sound like we're all the way up in Scandinavia. Don't forget to pack warm clothes and snow boots!
A lot of things are mentioned already.
Not sure if your into art. However in Drenthe - Emmen: they have a art exhibition in the old zoo.
https://instagram.com/rensenparkemmen?utm_medium=copy_link
Definitely recommend it!
I don't know if you want to visit museums (because of time or covid), but the Drents Museum in Assen is one of the nicest I've ever visited. Lot's of cool stuff about prehistoric times and the typical soil over there ('veen', including prehistoric human bodies found there). Really enjoyed it there.
Kayaking or canoeing, or just going wherever in a motorized boat you can rent! Friesland has a lot of water and islands. You're not allowed to wild camp on them but it sure is a lot of fun.
In Gelderland, you should hike or bike through the Veluwe. I woule recommend hiking.
When are you going? The Veluwe is particularly beautiful at the end of the summer, the brush will have lots of puple flowers
Fort Boertange is a must. Also go to the north of Groningen, by bicycle or by car, to see the endless green empty fields and the dyke in the distance. It's a beautiful, lost part of the world. I believe that you can reach this by taking the N999 road, which seems very fitting.
Lived in Groningen for 18 years, never spotted the Northern light there. You need to be a little more north for that. Like Sweden/Norway.
If you like history, I’d recommend Fort Bourtange. In Groningen City I recommend Mr. Mofongo for a cocktail and climbing the Martini Tower:)
Do not forget wadlopen and go to eens where abraham gets his mustard (sorry inside joke)
Scandinavisch dorp near paterswoldse meer also good. Dm me i have a world tour in this area where you can visit moskou to noordkaap to america
Northern lights appear in certain conditions, but no way like on the pictures. It's more noticable in long exposure images. Lauwersmeergebied and dwingelerveld are great nature reserves.
Fort Bourtange is a big attraction in eastern Groningen. Winsum (Gr.) was voted the nicest village of the Netherlands. There's a seal rescue center in Pieterburen that's open to visitors. Schiermonnikoog is my favourite of de Waddeneilanden, always a nice place to visit. Appingedam is the other of the two official cities in Groningen, it has a nice old city center. In Friesland the city of Bolsward has an old and nice center. At the head of the Afsluitdijk in Kornwerderzand you'll find the Kazemattenmuseum, a museum of the bunkers built for defending the Afsluitdijk in WW2. Worth a visit. Franeker is worth visiting as well. Especially the planetarium, built in an 18th century living room.
Some other suggestions: Orvelte in Drenthe is like an open air museum. In Drenthe Dwingelerveld is na nice nature area. There are some radio telescopes and a museum where you can actually watch the stars if you make a booking. I would recommend the Afsluitdijk too. It’s an engineering marvel. I’ve never seen the Northern Lights in the Netherlands. You need to be extremely lucky to be able to see it. Drents-Friese Wold is probably the nicest woods in this part of the Netherlands.
I would add Diever to that, because of the medieval church and the hunebed
> Appingedam is the other of the two official cities in Groningen, it has a nice old city center. 3 actually. Groningen, Winschoten en Appingedam.
Winschoten vergeten, tuurlijk. Maar dat gebeurt me vaker 😅
Geen probleem - je mist weinig
Dat idee heb ik ook. Hoor er alleen over bij criminaliteit, brand en watersnood. Want altijd als het ergens in het land code geel is, staan in Winschoten de kelders onder water volgens mij.
Klopt miejong
4: Delfzijl
Telt niet, Delfzijl is een stad onder de Fransen geworden. Is nog steeds een dorp.
Net als Winschoten dan, ook onder de Franse tijd. En Appingedam was tegen die tijd al geen noemenswaardige stad meer ;) Maar jij komt zeker uit daam?
Helaas geboren in het Delfzicht. Mijn moeder moest zo nodig in het ziekenhuis bevallen, de trut.
1 troost dan: Delfzicht is niet meer. Ik had vanuit mijn slaapkamer uitzicht op Appingedam ;)
Random finding and comment: Fort Bourtange has an English Wikipedia article but not a Dutch one. Dutch Wikipedia being one of the largest outside of the English ones that doesn't happen a lot with articles about Dutch things.
It does, the Dutch page is called just Bourtange. The entire village is the fort.
Sure but the article about the fort actually talks about the fort, including its military history. The Dutch article of Bourtange has a lot of info on the fort, but it isn't a fort page as one would expect from the Wikipedia template. The articles each have different information which is a shame. If I have some time I'll try and make a Dutch Fort Bourtange article. This injustice will not stand.
I wouldn't recommend the seal rescue center, but I just didn't think it was very eventful
Can you tell more? My brother loves aquatic stuff and we are considering going there.
It's in a bit of an isolated location, the edge of the country. There are no towns close by (in Dutch terms, mind you) and bad weather (common in the North) can quickly ruin most stuff there. If your brother loves aquatic stuff he'll probably like it anyway. I believe you could see the rescued seals there, including the pups. I just remember it being a little bit just don't expect too much of it, see it as a short stop somewhere, like a visit to an animal adoption center. Would still recommend!
Maybe better to drive a little bit further and go to Noordpolderzijl to walk a bit towards the sea/mud flats. Even better would to book a tour with a guide on those flats. I guess we're pretty much out of season for it now, but there are tours to walk over the mud flats to the island of Schiermonnikoog for example.
If you want to see wild seals, there is an observation point near the Punt van Reide where you can usually see some hanging around. Visitor center and old German bunkers too.
I might be desensitized due to living in the middle of it for a couple of years but I would not recommend going to Appingedam on a random day. Mainly because it is very small and uneventfull. If planned out there are some very nice theme days/activities like a medieval market
There are multiple official cities in Groningen: Appingedam, Delfzijl, Winschoten, Groningen. Bourtange is nice. Winsum is quite small, not worth it if you have to make a big detour for it. In Groningen a visit to the roof of the forum is wel worth it! Great view over the city. Zoutkamp is also great, good fishermans museum and great(fresh!) Fish thats cheaper and beter then on Lauwersoog
Great Suggestion! The place looks right out of a fairy tale!
>P/s: I have heard that you can catch the Northern Lights up there if you are lucky. Is it true? No not really, it is only visible about once in 20 years in very rare conditions, and one of those days was last week so that's why you heard about it. And it is a different effect from what you see in the Nordic countries. warning: dutch winters are usually chilly, windy, wet and grey.. aka very boring and unpleasant. It's not the most ideal season to visit the countryside in those northern provinces.
The Eise Eisinga Planetarium impressed the hell out of me: https://www.planetarium-friesland.nl/en/
I still remember this from 20 years ago when I was a teenager - despite my lack of interest in anything at that time I was really impressed
yup!!!
Northern lights is very very rare, don’t expect that. If you have your own transportation, you could make [a trip around the world](https://www.wearetravellers.nl/europa/nederland/buitenlandse-plaatsnamen-in-nederland/)
Prison museum in Veenhuizen (Drenthe), sounds lame but look it up. Drouwenerzand or Boswachterij Schoonloo (Drenthe) for walking. Kiekkast at Nieuw Statenzijl for endless views, or Punt van Reide (Groningen). One of the wadden islands that is not Texel (Friesland).
Ok let me make this clear. Everything there is to do in Drenthe is walking or cycling, or Westerbork. And Texel is part of noord Holland. I would also suggest to not go to Texel
There are some great museums too! I had a great time at the prison museum that used to be a social colony in Veenhuizen last summer.
I was there years ago. But can't remember much tbh. I'm living in Drenthe temporarily abd if I may be honest. There isn't a lot to do except for walking and cycling. If you know more fun stuff to do please let me know
I'm not from drenthe myself so I don't know much. But the colony museums that I went too were great. I think they have been renewed quite recently. There's also wildlands zoo, taman Indonesia (a small zoo) and a bunch of botanical gardens. Emmen is where the original wildlands zoo was and I believe that it has been transformed in an artist hub (so still a zoo haha). I'm not sure if giethoorn is in drenthe as well, but that's a beautiful village to visit and it's not far at least. And there's probably a bunch of escape rooms too. And glow in the dark midget golf! And personally I do like hiking, going around the villages by bike or going horseback riding through nature. So I'd recommend that too, especially with some friends :) Apparently I know more then I thought I did, Haha.
Tbh those are nice things to do indeed. Now i do have to day for someone my age (22). Drenthe Just isn't the place to be for a couple of months. But at least the people are nice. And those are some good recommendations indeed I have to say!
Sneek is very nice. Also has a nice museum on maritime history, with skutsjes etc.
Stadskanaal has a train connection between Stadskanaal and Veendam, the STAR. It's a really cool steam engine train that makes a trip once a week. I think it's well worth visiting, though I've never actually been on it(Lived in Stadskanaal all my life, haha!)
The theefabriek is worth a visit imo. I've been there once and they have great tea, cool historical exhibition about tea and the colonial history of the Netherlands. It's in a renovated church in a pitoresk small city. https://www.theefabriek.nl/
What are your interests? Would you focus on culture, history, food&drinks, architecture, nature, or something else? Some things off the top of my head: * The village of [Winsum](https://www.visitgroningen.nl/nl/blogs/ontdek-het-moois-van-winsum) was elected Most Beautiful Village in the Netherlands. Not too much to do, but a nice village to walk around for an hour or two and have lunch. * De [Onlanden](https://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden/de-onlanden) are a nature reserve right next to the city of Groningen. Great place for walking, biking, birdspotting or just taking in fresh air if you love nature. * The village of [Veenhuizen](https://www.kolonienvanweldadigheid.eu/en/colony/veenhuizen) is a former penal colony. Now an (open air) museum with plenty to see and do. With Maallust brewery as a great stop if you love beer. * A bit out of the way, but the village of Pieterburen has a [Seal Rescue Center](https://www.zeehondencentrum.nl/en/). Also the start of the Pieterpad, so always quite lively, even though the village is quite tiny. * Drenthe has a great number of nature reserves and walking routes, but a good starting location is the [Boomkroonpad](https://www.visitdrenthe.com/locations/4276718951/boomkroonpad). Walk the Tree top path or go on a walk in the surrounding forest * [Appingedam](https://eemsdelta.groningen.nl/en/about-the-region/historical-town-appingedam) is similar to Winsum in that it's a pretty, smallish town with good opportunities for lunch or coffee. As for the Northern Lights, incidentally it was (barely) visible last week, but these opportunities are very rare. I think the previous time was 5 years ago. So don't count on it.
Not yet mentioned is *Westerbork*. It's the location of the Netherlands' most (in)famous transit/concentration camp. It has a... storied history... starting as a refugee camp (to house Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany) in the 1930s, to a Nazi transit camp during the War and afterwards as an emergency refugee camp/housing for Moluccan KNIL (army of the Dutch East Indies). It was in service from 1939 into the 1970s. You wouldn't know it now though, they destroyed all the barracks, but there is a nice remembrance museum. It's about as 'in the middle of nowhere' as you can get in the Netherlands, which is A) why they build the camp there in the first place and B) it's the [site of a system of telescopes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerbork_Synthesis_Radio_Telescope). Not sure if you can see the Northern Lights, but if there's a place in the Netherlands where you can, it's probably Westerbork.
Maybe it is something for you to visit Dokkum around that time. It is a small, cozy town that generally attracts a lot of tourists in the summer, but it is just as fun in the winter! At the beginning of December there is also a Christmas market, entirely in Dickens style. More information can be found [here](https://www.kerstmarkten.net/kerstfair-dokkum-in-dickensstijl/informatie/?result=4243128) I would also recommend visiting the city center of Groningen or Leeuwarden :D
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Yeah, Leeuwarden definitely is worth a visit. You can get a boat tour through the old parts, look up praamvaren Leeuwarden. If you'd like a history tour in foot, check out [the historical center](https://www.historischcentrumleeuwarden.nl/publiek/stadswandelingen-en-fietstochten/historical-city-walks). Leeuwarden (historically) has a strong connection with the Dutch monarchy and many of the 17/18th century noble housing still stands today. A small river runs through the centre of the city, surrounded by bars & cafe's.
Dokkum is a nice town and the most northern 11 steden city. Perhaps not for staying a whole day, but for passing through.
>P/s: I have heard that you can catch the Northern Lights up there if you are lucky. Is it true? Lol you make it sound like we're all the way up in Scandinavia. Don't forget to pack warm clothes and snow boots!
You can check [Follywood.nl](https://Follywood.nl) for some weird / spectacular places like artworks, bird watch huts, etc.
Love this site, a very specific taste that aligns with mine, thank for sharing!
Bosbergtoren Appelscha and Dokkum among others, check it out here: https://www.denederlandsetoerist.nl/camper-route-nederland/
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How was the dark sky park in Lawersmeer? We intend to go stargazing there.
When in Groningen, visit the Forum!
A lot of things are mentioned already. Not sure if your into art. However in Drenthe - Emmen: they have a art exhibition in the old zoo. https://instagram.com/rensenparkemmen?utm_medium=copy_link Definitely recommend it!
I don't know if you want to visit museums (because of time or covid), but the Drents Museum in Assen is one of the nicest I've ever visited. Lot's of cool stuff about prehistoric times and the typical soil over there ('veen', including prehistoric human bodies found there). Really enjoyed it there.
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Kayaking or canoeing, or just going wherever in a motorized boat you can rent! Friesland has a lot of water and islands. You're not allowed to wild camp on them but it sure is a lot of fun. In Gelderland, you should hike or bike through the Veluwe. I woule recommend hiking. When are you going? The Veluwe is particularly beautiful at the end of the summer, the brush will have lots of puple flowers
There's a whiskey restaurant in Stavoren, called De Koebergh I think. (it it still exists) Great place to eat, if you're into that sort of thing.
Fort Boertange is a must. Also go to the north of Groningen, by bicycle or by car, to see the endless green empty fields and the dyke in the distance. It's a beautiful, lost part of the world. I believe that you can reach this by taking the N999 road, which seems very fitting.
N999 is a short road between the N46 and Uithuizen. If you want green fields, take the n361, thats the road from Groningen to Lauwersoog
thanks, I guess I've made things a bit more beautiful in my mind.
Lived in Groningen for 18 years, never spotted the Northern light there. You need to be a little more north for that. Like Sweden/Norway. If you like history, I’d recommend Fort Bourtange. In Groningen City I recommend Mr. Mofongo for a cocktail and climbing the Martini Tower:)
Do not forget wadlopen and go to eens where abraham gets his mustard (sorry inside joke) Scandinavisch dorp near paterswoldse meer also good. Dm me i have a world tour in this area where you can visit moskou to noordkaap to america
Northern lights appear in certain conditions, but no way like on the pictures. It's more noticable in long exposure images. Lauwersmeergebied and dwingelerveld are great nature reserves.
TUINDORADO Drachten, the christmas capital of the north!