The best traffic-free bike rides around Grote Rietplas

De Kleine Rietplas is located on the edge of the Wijk Rietlanden in Emmen. In addition to a sandy beach with a sunbathing lawn, you will find a restaurant and snack bar with a beautiful view of the lake from the terrace. There is also a playground, zip line, skateboard ramp, raft in the water, panna cage, observation tower, and canoe rental. In short; there is plenty to do for the whole family! There is free parking and showers are available. The area is cleaned regularly. De Kleine Rietplas is connected to the Grote Rietplas. The Grote Rietplas recreational area includes a surf and sailing lake, among other things. There are also beaches, sunbathing lawns, small harbors, a campsite, parking lots, a canoe course, and walking and cycling paths through the area. Various events are organized annually in the recreational area, such as RetroPop, the international Kite Festival, and the Rietplasloop. Parc Sandur is located on the southeast side of the lake. Source: https://www.drenthe.nl/locaties/226344250/kleine-rietplas

Nooit Gedacht is located in Veenoord on the waterfront, diagonally across from the Van Gogh House. This is where Vincent van Gogh slept and reached by barge. This waterfront location has become even more important in recent years. A few years ago, the Veenvaart canal opened, allowing boaters to take a "tour of Drenthe." Anyone who does this tour will encounter this windmill, and there's a good chance it's turning! This windmill has a long history of relocation. A previous windmill had stood on this site, but the current one was built here in 1916. It was originally built in Leeuwarden, then moved to Heerenveen, and then stood in Hankate. Its current location is therefore the fourth such mill. In the world of windmills, it's believed that no other smock mill has moved so often. Source: https://www.drenthe.nl/locaties/1454076968/molen-nooitgedacht

At the Van Gogh House in Nieuw-Amsterdam/Veenoord, you'll be drawn into the story of Vincent van Gogh during his time in Drenthe. His journey as an artist, his admiration for the Drenthe landscape, and the people and surroundings he captured in his sketches, paintings, and letters to his brother Theo. Only at this location is the only publicly accessible building where Vincent van Gogh actually lived, ate, and slept, still preserved in its original state. Vincent's room is a real draw. His bed, his wood-burning stove, and certainly his balcony with a view of the bridge he painted. That view is now even more special thanks to a large mural on the Veenoord silo. Source: https://www.drenthe.nl/locaties/903667940/van-gogh-huis

Great landscape for cycling

I cycled from Hebelermeer to the museum in New Amsterdam. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations.

Misty Emmen in winter atmosphere

Image of The Firebird

The young painter Vincent van Gogh spent most of his time in Drenthe. In the autumn of 1883, he stayed with Scholte in Nieuw-Amsterdam. Today, Scholte's lodgings are known as the Van Gogh House (Van Gogh Huis). The drawbridge in Nieuw-Amsterdam is probably the most popular work Van Gogh created during his stay there. According to oral tradition, Van Gogh, who stayed in Nieuw-Amsterdam for a time, paid his rent with his paintings, but the landlord couldn't appreciate their value and burned them. The municipality of Emmen decided to demolish the building, but this decision was reversed at the last minute. Today, it houses a café and a museum.