If you really want to go off-the-beaten track in the Netherlands, than you should go to Drenthe. Drenthe is the less-populated and perhaps the less-visited province in the Netherlands. You won’t find there large cities and busy urban areas. Drenthe is all about peaceful nature, small villages, and little towns. With this Drenthe itinerary, you’ll spend amazing 3 days in Drenthe, away from the crowds, surrounded by quietness.
You can do this itinerary as a road trip, staying each night at a different place, but as this is a long weekend, I would advise against it. It’s better if you choose one place and use it as a base for day trips in Drenthe. You can also add an extra day, especially if you are travelling with kids or if you are in for some fun. You can use the suggestion for the extra day to substitute any of the other activities on the first 3 days.
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Day 1 in Drenthe
Distance: Coevorden-Nieuw Amsterdam: 13 km (18 min)
Route: Stiltjeskanaal Westzijde, Dennenweg
Coevorden
We start our trip in Drenthe with the lovely town of Coevorden. Coevorden is one of those star-shaped fortified towns in the Netherlands that you immediately fall in love with. It’s also the oldest town in the province of Drenthe, as it received its city right in the beginning of the 15th century. When in Coevorden, walk along the old bulwarks, which surround the Old Town and enjoy the serenity. From the bulwarks continue to the Castle of Coevorden. The castle was built in 1025 as a motte-and-bailey castle and rebuilt in 1402. In the 1960s the castle was restored. Today it functions as a hotel and restaurant. It’s not open for guided visits but you can still enjoy it from outside.

After the castle continue to the Market Square, where you can enjoy some drinks or have a bite in one of the many cafés that have seats on the square. At one corner of the square you can see the Ganzen Geesje – a fountain with a woman holding a goose and surrounded by other geese. It symbolizes the geese market that was once hold in Coevorden each year on the second Monday of November.

Depending on how much time you have, you can visit the local City Museum (Stedelijk Museum), located in the historical arsenal building, where you can learn about the history of the place. There is also a lovely model of the city exhibited there.
Practical info
Address: Stedelijk Museum Coevorden, Haven 4, 7741 JV Coevorden
Admission fee: adults – 6 EUR, kids (13-18 yoa) – 5 EUR
Opening times: Tuesday- Saturday, from 9:30am to 5pm, Sunday, from 12pm to 5pm
Website: museumcoevorden.nl (only in Dutch and German)
Nieuw Amsterdam
After Coevorden continue to Nieuw Amsterdam – a little village just outside of Emmen, where you can visit the Van Gogh Museum. In 1883 Van Gogh moved to Drenthe and spent two months in this house. Today, you can visit on the second floor the museum which consists of his bedroom and atelier. On the ground floor of the house there’s a restaurant.
Practical info
Address: Van Goghstraat 1, 7844 NP Veenoord/Nieuw Amsterdam
Admission fee: adults – 6,50 EUR, kids (4-12 yoa) – 4 EUR
Opening times: Thursday-Sunday, from 1pm to 5pm
Website: vangogh-drenthe.nl
Day 2 in Drenthe
Distance: 28 km (not including the drive on N34 and eventual stops)
Hunebed Centre – Orvelte: 18 km (20 min)
Route: N374, Oranjekanaal Noordzijde
Orvelte – Oud Aalden: 10 km (13 min)
Route: Meester J.b. Kanweg, Witteveen, Gelpenberg
Hunebed Highway
Day 2 form this Drenthe itinerary is dedicated to prehistoric landmarks and historical villages. If there’s one thing that Drenthe is famous for among the locals, it’s for sure the so-called hunebedden, or dolmens. Basically these are two large boulders supporting one or more cover stones. The hunebedden, erected between 3350 and 3050 BC, are shrouded in mystery as their actual function is still unknown. They are considered to be prehistoric megalithic tombs, but not in the sense of the modern tombstones.

There are 54 hunebedden remaining preserved in the Netherlands and all of them but 2 are located in Drenthe! And to make things more interesting 47 of them are along the N34 road, which is also called the Hunebed Highway! The N34 connects Covoerden with A28 just to the south of Groningen. Drive along and get off the road to check out the hunebedden. Here you can download a map with the exact locations of the sites. They are all numbered from D1 to D54. Those with G are in Groningen province.

Hunebed Centre
The largest and the most visited, and of course the most famous hunebed is D27. It’s located near Borger, where you can also visit the Hunebed Centre (Hunebedcentrum) and the Prehistoric Park. At the Center you can learn everything about these fascinating landmarks from the Neolithic period and get an idea about the people who lived in those times. You will also learn about the Hondsrug UNESCO Geopark. The Hondsrug is a ridge that stretches from Emmen to Groningen formed in the Ice Age.
Practical info
Address: Hunebed Centre, Hunebedstraat 27, 9531 JT Borger
Admission fee: adults – 12,50 EUR, kids (4-11 yoa) – 6,50 EUR. Click to buy your tickets online.
Opening times: Tuesday-Friday, from 10am to 5pm; Saturday-Sunday, from 11am to 5pm
Website: hunebedcentrum.eu

Orvelte
Just a few kilometres to the south-east of Borger is our next stop on the itinerary – the museum village Orvelte. You know how they say that a place can transport you back in time. Although this may sound cheesy, Orvelte is doing exactly this. To be precise, you are stepping back in 1832. The time has frozen. Beside being super cute, the museum village is also educational. You can visit the workshops of the blacksmith, the clog maker, or the lumber mill.

When in Orvelte, do not miss to try freshly baked Dutch stroopwafels (a type of caramel waffles) at De Gulden Stoet or the local beer from Drenthe Drentsche Schans, which is brewed in Holsloot only from grains harvested from the nearby fields.
The village is car-free, so you need to park outside of it.
Practical info
Admission fee: there’re different entry prices for various attractions. You can buy a combined ticket for the blacksmith, the clog maker and the lumber mill: adults – 4,50 EUR, kids (4-15 yoa) – 2,50 EUR
Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday, from 11am to 4pm
Website: orvelte.net

Oud Aalden
The third, and last stop on the 2nd day of our Drenthe itinerary is Oud Aalden. This little village looks a bit like Orvelte, instead it’s not a museum and there are actually people leaving there. The place is unbearably charming with old cottages and the traditional gardens. Take a stroll along the cobbled streets and forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

My recommendation is to stop at ‘t Hoes van Hol-An, where you can try the Dutch pancakes for dinner. Yes, pancakes for dinner! Dutch pancakes are mostly savoury and are kind of the perfect marriage between a pizza and an omelette. The place has a lovely courtyard, so you can sit outside if the weather is nice.

Practical info
Address: Oud Saksische Koffie- & Pannenkoekboerderij ’t Hoes van Hol-An, Oud Aalden 11, 7854 RW Aalden
Opening times: September to June: Tuesday-Sunday, from 11am to 8pm; July and August: daily, from 11am to 8pm
Website: pannenkoekboerderij.nl (only in Dutch)
Day 3 in Drenthe
Distance: 52 km or 58 km, depending on the walking route
Schaapskooi Balloërveld, Balloo – Assen: 7 km (12 min)
Route: Balloo, Tumuliboslaan, Asserstraat
Homanshof, Anloo – Assen: 13 km (20 min)
Route: Gasterenseweg, Oosteinde, Visvliet, Gasterenseweg, Lonerstraat
Assen – Frederiksoord: 45 km (45 min)
Route: Oude Provincialeweg, N381, N371, N855
Drentsche Aa National Park
The last day from our long weekend in Drenthe starts with visiting the Drentsche Aa National Park. Drentsche Aa is pretty unique and is like no other national park in the Netherlands. The full name of the park is National Stream and Esdorp Landscape Drentsche Aa (Nationaal beek- en esdorpenlandschap Drentsche Aa). Now I need to explain what an ‘esdorp‘ is, it’s village that has developed around a village green in the middle during the Middle Ages. Numerous creeks and streams meander through heathlands, pastures, forests and agricultural fields and create an unique landscape, remained mostly untouched for the last two centuries.

Fun facts: There are 21 National Parks in the Netherlands. The last one, Nieuw Land, was added in 2018. Drentsche Aa is a national park since 2002. There are 3 National Parks in Drenthe in total. The other two are Drents-Friese Wold National Park and Dwingelderveld National Park.
The best way to explore the Drentsche Aa is on foot or by bike. There are numerous walking trails that will take to the most beautiful places in this national park. If you are visiting the Netherlands in August/September, then you have to take the Ballooërveld trail via the heathlands. The heath is in bloom then and you will be walking through a field of purple haze.
Practical info
Start: Schaapskooi Balloërveld, Crabbeweg 2, 9458 TE Balloo
Marking: purple
Length: 9 km (with a shortcut – 6 km)
Difficulty: easy
Download map

Another recommendation is the Anlooërdiep trail. It starts at the quaint village of Anloo, which is typical example of an ‘esdorp‘. Check out the lovely St. Magnus Church (Magnuskerk), built in 1100 and the old Saxon farmsteads around the village green. Along this beautiful route, you can spot some wild orchids.
Practical info
Start: Informatiecentrum Homanshof, Lunsenhof 20, 9467 PM Anloo
Marking: dark blue
Length: 11 km (with a shortcut – 7 km)
Difficulty: easy
Download map (the brochure is in Dutch, but the map is eligible)
Assen
After relaxing in the nature, head to the biggest city and capital of the province of Drenthe – Assen. Unlike most out large cities in the Netherlands, Assen doesn’t boast medieval architecture. It’s also a relatively young city, it got its city rights only in 1809. In the 19th century there were built numerous stately townhouses and villas, most of which are now national monuments.

One of the must-visit attractions in Assen is the Drents Museum – a real hidden gem. It features fine arts, historical art, contemporary realism, and they even have even an archeological department. There are also held temporary exhibitions of international art. You will be surprised by their rich and varied collection. The building itself is also very beautiful. The museum is housed in the historical Provincial Government Building (Provinciehuis). The new wing of the museum, built in 2011 is super modern and is located underground. The ‘roof’ is a unique wander garden, which is a bit like a maze.
Practical info
Address: Brink 1, 9401 HS Assen
Admission fee: adults – 15 EUR, kids (up to 17 yoa) – free; there’s surcharge for exhibitions; no entry fee for the garden
Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday, from 11am to 5pm; during the summer holidays also on Mondays
Website: drentsmuseum.nl

The best places to have a drink or to grab a bite are at the Brink (the ‘village green’), where there are a lot of restaurants and cafes opposite the museum, and the Markt (the Market Square), of course.
Read more: Read this post to find out what else you can do and see in Assen
Frederiksoord
The last stop on day 3 in Drenthe is the very fresh UNESCO World Heritage Site in Frederiksoord – the Colonies of Benevolence. It has been added to the list in July 2021. The Colonies of Benevolence (Koloniën van Weldadigheid) include 3 sites in the Netherlands and one in Belgium. All 3 Dutch colonies are located in Drenthe. However, there were also other colonies in other places in the Netherlands.
Fun fact: Did you know that the Netherlands is a home to 12 World Heritage Sites? Curious which they are? Read this:
The 12 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands
The Colonies were a kind of a social experiment that was geared towards fighting the impoverishment. Those in need could go to the colonies located in remote rural areas and work and live there. There was also established a social insurance fund.

The colony in Frederiksoord was from the “free” type. There was also “unfree” type, like the colony in Veenhuizen, where they would relocated orphans, beggars and vagrants to live and work there. Those who were stationed there, were sleeping in large dormitories and were surveilled 24/7.
In Frederiksoord you can visit the The Trial Colony Museum (Museum De Proefkolonie). Here, you can learn everything about the birth of the social welfare system and why this place is so special and advanced for its time. Let’s not forget that this was in 1818! Besides the museum, you can also visit the colony houses, the church, and the schools.
Practical info
Address: Huis van Weldadigheid, Museum De Proefkolonie, Major van Swietenlaan 1A, 8382 CE Frederiksoord
Admission fee: adults – 9,50 EUR, kids (5-12 yoa) – 4,75 EUR
Opening times: Tuesday-Sunday, from 11am to 5pm; during the summer holidays also on Mondays
Website: proefkolonie.nl
Extra Day in Drenthe
Wildlands
I’ve left the most famous attraction in Drenthe as an option and for a reason. Wildlands is an amusement park/zoo and I am sure if you travel with kids they will love spending the day there. That’s why I didn’t include it in the main itinerary. Depending on the number of days you will be spending in Drenthe, you can include Wildlands as an extra day, or fit it in one of the previous days. It can be best visited on day 1 after Nieuw Amsterdam, as it’s very close to it (only 10 km).
Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen takes you on a journey through the jungle, the savannah and the Polar circle. There’s even a roller coaster! The concept of the zoo is pretty cool, as they want to go beyond the ‘walking-and-looking-around’ type of zoo and offer unique thematic experience like a boat ride through the jungle or a safari ride through the savannah.
Pro tip: Buy your tickets online, skip the line and save 4 EUR per ticket.

Practical info
Address: Raadhuisplein 99, 7811AP Emmen
Admission fee: adults – 24 EUR (online), 27,50 EUR (at the desk), kids (3-9 yoa) – 21 EUR (online), 23 EUR (at the desk)
Opening times: daily, from 10am to 5pm; May-June (in the weekends) and July-August, daily, from 10am to 6pm
Website: wildlands.nl (only in Dutch and German)
Where to stay in Drenthe
Here are my suggestions for places to stay in Drenthe. There’s an abundance of cute B&Bs in old farm houses amidst beautiful nature.

- Coevorden Castle – splurge in a bit of luxury in this beautifully restored 15th-century castle
- Gasselternijven Villa – a luxurious 3-bedroom holiday home with a sauna
- B&B De Bedstay – a truly exceptional B&B with a sauna and a swimming pool
- B&B in de Kloosterhof – a lovely bed-and-breakfast in the heart of Assen

- Boerderij Hotel Orvelte – an authentic farm turned into a charming hotel in the museum village Orvelte
- Eve Niets Hoeve – a B&B in an idyllic rural area with a lovely garden
- bij Saar – a super charming B&B, with a communal open-air swimming pool at a walking distance
- ten Cate – a unique hotel in Emmen, with art as a main topic; discover everything about the contemporary Dutch art movement toyism, which originated in Emmen
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the place where we stayed in Drenthe during our trip. Actually, it’s the only place from all my travels around the world which I won’t recommend. It was too expensive, badly maintained, with unresponsive hosts who don’t like constructive criticism.
How to get to Drenthe
Drenthe is located in the northeastern part of the Netherlands. The nearest airport is Groningen Airport Eelde, just some 20 km to Assen, or 70 km from Coevorden. Check the website of the airport for more information about the destination you can fly from.

Another option is to fly to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam or to Eindhoven Airport (low-cost options). Then you need to rent a car and drive to Drenthe, after all this is a road trip.
Here are some distances:
- Schiphol Airport – Assen: 200 km (2 hr 15 min)
- Schiphol Airport – Coevorden: 170 km (2 hr 15 min)
- Eindhoven Airport – Assen: 230 km (2 hr 30 min)
- Eindhoven Airport – Coevorden: 200 km (2 hr 30 min)
The best way to find out how to travel from A to B in the Netherlands is to use the Glimble app. You can buy your tickets in the app and travel hassle-free. The app is absolutely free to download.
Tip: Read this post about using the public transport in the Netherlands. It’s packed with tips that only a local knows!
Final words
This 3-day itinerary in Drenthe is perfect for a long weekend escape in the Netherlands, where ‘escape’ is 100% the right word. If you are travelling around in the Netherlands, you can add these 3 days to your overall Dutch itinerary. I hope you will enjoy Drenthe as much as we did. 3 days aren’t enough to explore the whole province, but you can still see the highlights.
Do you need some extra help to plan your trip to the Netherlands? Join the dedicated Exploring the Netherlands Facebook Group, where you can get tips from other travellers and locals. Or perhaps you have questions or comments? Join the group and I’ll be happy to answer them.