Drenthe is the oldest, and what many people consider the most traditional and beautiful provinces of the Netherlands.

Vincent van Gogh was captivated by the colours of Drenthe

Vincent van Gogh was enchanted by Drenthe. In a letter to his brother Theo he wrote: "Drenthe is so beautiful, it absorbs and satisfies me so absolutely that if I could not be here forever, I should wish I had never seen it. It is inexpressibly beautiful".

Rare wildlife

For a glimpse of some rare wildlife, be sure to visit 'De Lokkerij', a breeding station for White African storks located near the city of Meppel. It is managed by the Drenthe Landscape Society and is home to 10-15 pairs of nesting storks that migrate here from Africa every year.

In the 1970s, these birds were on the brink of extinction, but there is now a large healthy population. Walking the terrace, you will see plenty of these large birds from close range. They can be seen here from 1 April to 1 September.

Reest River valley

The Reest River valley is a nature preserve for nesting storks and is a beautiful spot to go bicycling or walking. It gives meaning to the phrase "soft and glowing land" of Drenthe.

We passed ancient farm houses with white scalloped trim and dark green shutters that had modern satellite dishes poking out of thatched rooftops.

There were stork nests everywhere — on the chimney of a village restaurant, perched on an old barn or 10m up on a platform in a field.

We walked through forests of tall, ancient oaks and saw massive grey stone mansions in the middle of vast green fields. We followed the winding Reest River past majestic Chestnut trees and ornate dovecotes shaped like pagodas.

Hunebedden

History captured in stone

These are tombs Neolithic peoples made using very large rocks. Drenthe has 55 of 57 the Hunebedden in the Netherlands. Two of the most impressive examples are in Havelterberg. See http://members.home.nl/hunebedden.

On the way, stop at the Farming museum 'De Karstenhoeve' in Ruinerwold. It is on Dr Larijweg, a long avenue with a number of farms from the 1700s built in the characteristic Drenthe style.

Traditional Staphorst

Staphorst is a small farming village near Meppel where you can see how ultra-conservative Dutch-Reformed Protestants still live.

Many of the people in this tiny village still dress in their traditional black costumes with floral overlay and matching skullcaps.

Romantic Giethoorn

Giethoorn is sometimes described as the Venice of Holland. A canal-laced village with tidy white cottages that overflow with flowers in the summer, it is closed off to cars so the best way to explore is in a rented boat or on foot. Not to be missed.

Westerbork

During the Second World War, the German occupiers used a camp near the town of Westerbork to imprison Dutch Jews before transportation to death camps in the east.

This is one episode in history that the Dutch have gone to great pains to forget. A string of huge satellite dishes run alongside the original site. However, the museum is well worth a visit.

Accommodation

One of the luxury rooms in 'De Havixhorst'

Several pairs of storks have made their nests on the hotel's chimneys and you can hear the "clacking" sound that they make from your room.

The hotel has eight suites, twice the size of a normal hotel room with 5m high ceilings and floor to ceiling casement windows that overlook the quiet courtyard or mossy green moat. 

De Havixhorst specialises in gourmet dinners, so make sure to book a dinner package. We had a four-course dinner the first night and a six-course dinner with accompanying wines the second.

Both meals were perfectly prepared and delicious, but that's to be expected. The hotel is a member of the prestigious Gastronomical Chateaus and Residences (check: www.chateaux.nl).

How to get there

Meppel is on the A28 motorway on the border between the regions Overijssel and Drenthe in the Netherlands.

Updated August 2008

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Subject: Weekend breaks + the Netherlands + Drenthe