Tour of Drenthe

Forests, flowering heaths (of course depending on the season), dolmens, beautiful farms, strips of flint (Drenthe cobblestones), open-air museum village Orvelte, very quiet roads, many cobblestone roads (instead of asphalt roads) and Col du VAM (a landscaped cycling course on a former garbage dump, public to everyone): the province of Drenthe is beautiful to cycle through.

If I do give a minus point to my route, it is the fact that there are a little too many cycle paths on the route for my liking (a total of 24 km). This is not a problem for some cycle paths, because they are separate (not along a main road) such as through the Dwingelderveld. In the woods of Exloo and the woods just west of De Kiel there are also separate cycle paths, but they are narrow here, which makes it difficult to pass recreational bicycle traffic. The cycle path along the Steenhopenweg is very welcome: via this cycle path you can avoid the flint strip of the Steenhopenweg. But in an attempt to reduce the amount of cycle paths and also go through Drentsche Aa National Park, I have another round in Drenthe in the making.

This route starts at the parking lot of the VAM mountain (Col du VAM, north side near the village of Drijber) and you start directly with the ascent of Col du VAM (49 m above sea level). In March 2024, a new road will be opened on the VAM mountain that goes to 63 m above sea level, which you could also climb (e.g. at the very end of the tour, if the energy is still there). The route goes clockwise. After Col du VAM, you will get the following (nature) areas and sights in front of the wheels:
- Boerenveense Plassen;
- the heathland of Dwingelderveld National Park (with radio telescope);
- village of Dwingeloo;
- Hooghalen forestry (with camp Westerbork and many radio telescopes);
- Drouwenerveld forest area with the Steenhopenweg flint strip (to be avoided via the asphalted cycle path along it);
- dolmen of Drouwen;
- a climb to the sand ridge of the Hondsrug (south of Buinen), called the Zuideresch;
- Boswachterij Exloo (also a dolmen here);
- Museum village Orvelte.