Prehistoric Drenthe (and surrounding areas)
Drenthe was a favored settlement of our Prehistoric ancestors thousands of years ago. They lived off game, fish and edible plants. Their traces are still visible today. But even in later periods, this region was a perfect habitat. In this blog we will take you back in time. But all these places can be visited even today. For example, there are numerous museums that give you a glimpse into life back then. Hopefully the museums may soon open their doors again!
Lonely hunebed in Diever
During our vacation in this region, we stumbled upon a lonely hunebed in the town of Diever. This hunebed is affectionately called D52 and consists of unusually large boulders. Some of those boulders weigh as much as 20 tons! How did they ever manage to do that? Hunebeds are Prehistoric burial mounds. D52 had unfortunately become quite damaged but was restored in the 1950s. Two Prehistoric skeletons were found under the stones. These have been moved to a museum nearby.
More hunebeds
You have the so-called Hunebed Highway in Drenthe. This is the N34. This is a normal provincial road, but what makes it special is that 47 of the 53 hunebeds in Drenthe are located along this road. The Hunebed Highway is a nod to the American Route 66. The Hunebed Highway is part of De Hondsrug, the UNESCO Gloval Geopark.
De Hondsrug – UNESCO Global Geopark
The Hondsrug runs from Drenthe (Emmen) to the city of Groningen and is a unique area. The area is no less than 70 km long. Nowhere in Europe will you find a comparable landscape where the traces of the Prehistoric Ice Age have been so well preserved. In the area you will find as many as 47 dolmens. You can enjoy hiking (there is a tree canopy trail), cycling and horseback riding, but you can also visit a museum. Some interesting museums of the area are the Hunebedcentrum in Borger, the Van Gogh Huis, the Veenpark, the Nabershof and the Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum.
Veenkoloniale establishments
But even later, in the Middle Ages, the area was of great importance. During that period, the so-called Esdorpen (Esd villages) came into being. These peat-colonial settlements arose through the extraction of peat. The Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam gives a good picture of life at that time. Definitely worth a visit! The peat was also a place where unfortunately not always nice things happened. For example, a lot of bodies were recovered. These are well preserved because of the oxygen-poor peat. The Yde girl is an example of this. You can admire her and other bog bodies in the Drents Museum.
So, when you are in Drenthe there is plenty to experience and explore!
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