The best cycling routes around Weststellingwerf

The "Nationaal Park Drents-Friese Wold" is a 6150-hectare contiguous nature area on the border of the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Drenthe. The National Park is one of the largest of the 21 existing parks in the Netherlands and consists of forest, heathland, and drifting sand areas. Its closed forest area is the second largest in the Netherlands. It is bordered by Appelscha in the southeast of Friesland and Doldersum, Diever, Hoogersmilde, Wapse, and Vledder in Drenthe. The Drents-Friese Wold area was declared a National Park in 2000. The park is operated by the state forestry administration (Dutch: Staatsbosbeheer), the association for nature monuments (Natuurmonomenten), the Het Drentse Landschap foundation, and the Maatschappij van Weldadigheid foundation. Only a very small part of the area is still privately owned. The National Park has a visitor center in Appelscha and Diever, as well as information boards at the park's six large parking lots. Over 130 kilometers of hiking trails are signposted. The network of very good cycling paths is similarly extensive. Source: partly Wikipedia

The small white wooden church was erected in a very short time. On October 18, 1904, the first stone was laid (the inside of the wooden church consists of a half-stone wall), on December 14, the first church service took place. Busy In the sixties of the last century, the church was so busy that two services were held to accommodate everyone. In 1968, an extension was added to the church. For this, the entire facade was moved forward. But even in the years that followed, the church building was quickly too small again and an army tent was attached to the building to provide shelter for people. In the eighties, 120 people visited the small church weekly. All Protestants feel at home here The numbers stand in stark contrast to the current situation, where the church only has nine members.

The smallest wooden chapel (hall church) in Drenthe. Built in 1904. The chapel houses a state-protected cabinet organ. https://kennis.cultureelerfgoed.nl/index.php/Monumenten/507281

Lost Wings information panel Bf 109G-6 No. 166043. For more information see www.slodrenthe.nl/fietsroutes/

In the Frisian village of Spanga stands a monumental building. The current Spanga Bell Tower was installed in the Spanga cemetery in 1989. After construction, there was no money left to purchase a bell. You can read below about how this happened.

Since the last ice age, the Linde River has meandered through the Stellingwerf landscape. The river rises near the hamlet of Tronde in Ooststellingwerf and, before the construction of the Noordoostpolder, flowed into the sea near Kuinre. In the Middle Ages, the Linde served as the northern boundary of the bishopric of Utrecht. Today, it forms part of the border between Ooststellingwerf and Weststellingwerf, and further afield, the provincial border between Friesland and Overijssel.

The De Rietvink windmill, built in 1855 on the Grote Veenpolder, was fitted with an American windmill in 1921 to keep the area dry. After being decommissioned in 1964, it became a holiday home. Around 2005, the windmill fell into disrepair, but new owners began a thorough restoration in 2008 with the help of millwrights and volunteers. In 2010, De Rietvink turned again for the first time in 16 years and has been in regular operation ever since. Next to the windmill is a charming tea garden with a terrace for a refreshing drink in the sun!

Always a nice place to stop with lots of shipping