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Recreatief
56 km
Hop on your bike and discover the surprisingly diverse landscape of Ooststellingwerf. This route invites you to explore the countryside at a relaxed pace, where peace, space, and history come together.
Along the way, informative panels tell the story of agriculture in the region: from past to present. You’ll gain insight into the rich farming heritage and the craftsmanship that has been passed down for generations. The route takes you past characteristic landscapes, charming farms, and special places where local producers passionately practice their craft. Taste and buy delicious regional products, fresh from the land and carefully made. This way, your bike ride becomes not only a feast for the eyes, but also for the taste buds — and you can even do your regional shopping along the way.
Parking
The route st…
Hop on your bike and discover the surprisingly diverse landscape of Ooststellingwerf. This route invites you to explore the countryside at a relaxed pace, where peace, space, and history come together.
Along the way, informative panels tell the story of agriculture in the region: from past to present. You’ll gain insight into the rich farming heritage and the craftsmanship that has been passed down for generations. The route takes you past characteristic landscapes, charming farms, and special places where local producers passionately practice their craft. Taste and buy delicious regional products, fresh from the land and carefully made. This way, your bike ride becomes not only a feast for the eyes, but also for the taste buds — and you can even do your regional shopping along the way.
Parking
The route starts at the Boerestreek in Appelscha. There is usually plenty of parking available here.
Signposting
This route is signposted with white hexagonal signs with green markings. It is also possible to join the route at other points by following the signage.
Food & Drinks
Would you like something to eat or drink during your bike ride? You can visit various cafés and restaurants in Appelscha and Oosterwolde.
OlmenEs is located on the edge of Appelscha, surrounded by woodland, on the site of a former sanatorium with a rich history.
Once an industrial site for processing agricultural produce, this area has gradually developed into a large and modern food production area. A new chapter has now begun, and the Ecomunitypark has been transformed into an ecological business park inspired by the bio-based economy.
Since the 1920s, the forests around Appelscha have attracted holidaymakers and youth groups. This landscape, now part of Drents Friese Wold National Park, is home to the Elf Ieken Farm, named after eleven oak trees in the ancient patchwork countryside.
At the end of the nineteenth century, this was the site of the De Drie Gemeenten dairy factory, where farmers from Ooststellingwerf, Weststellingwerf and Diever delivered their milk.
In Nijeberkoop lies the former "future farm" Boschzicht, now part of the 160 hectare Boschhoeve Estate, comprising woodland, heathland, fens and farmland. The area is open to walkers and most of it is part of the nature network. The estate is still home to an historic eighteenth-century farmhouse.
De Weyert windmill stands at the edge of the arable fields near Makkinga, where rye and later wheat have been cultivated for centuries. Farmers brought their grain to the mill, which provided flour but also served as an important meeting place.
De Bakkers van Verloop are the final link in the From Field to Baker initiative, a short supply chain connecting farmers, millers, bakers and consumers only approx. 10 km apart. Grain grown in Elsloo without artificial fertilisers or pesticides is milled into flour at De Weyert in Makkinga.
In the past, chickens roamed freely around the farmyard on almost every farm in Ooststellingwerf. They ate leftovers, scratched around on the manure heap and provided eggs, meat and a little extra income.
Health Molke in Oosterwolde shows how short the path from cow to consumer can be. On the farm, milk from the farm’s own cows is processed directly into yoghurt, buttermilk, strained yoghurt, butter and kefir.
Agricultural farms once emerged along the Compagnonsvaart after peat from the Fochteloërveen had been transported away. When many farmers stopped farming at the start of this century, new small-scale initiatives emerged that combined agriculture, recreation and care.
