Drents-Friese Wold

The Drents-Friese Wold covers a little over sixty-one square kilometres on the Drenthe-Friesland border and is one of the largest continuous woodland areas in the Netherlands, much of it planted from the nineteenth century on former heath and drift sand, with native oak and Scots pine alongside Douglas fir, red oak and Japanese larch. Within it are two kinds of open ground: the Aekingerzand near Appelscha, a drift-sand area where Staatsbosbeheer felled 200 hectares of forest at the end of the twentieth century to save its drifting-sand character, and heath grazed by a flock of sheep with a shepherd. The Vledder Aa, one of the very few natural brooks left in the country, had its upper course restored in 2002 and 2003, when the inflow of polluted water from the Drentsche Hoofdvaart canal through the Tilgrup was closed off. Appelscha, Diever and Hoogersmilde have visitor and information centres, and the park is crossed by an extensive network of asphalt cycle paths.

Background

Founded in 2000 on the border of Friesland and Drenthe, the park covers more than 61 square kilometres of forest, heath and drift sand. People lived here as early as the Stone Age, and several graves from that period are still visible. Under the 'esdorp culture' farmers grazed their sheep on these lands, and the constant loss of minerals left heath and drifting sand. In the 19th century the state began planting oak, pine, Douglas fir and Japanese larch, which still cover much of the area. The Vledder Aa is one of the very few natural brooks left in the Netherlands.

Source: Wikipedia, "Drents-Friese Wold National Park"

The landscape

• Over sixty-one square kilometres - forest, heath and drift sand on the Drenthe-Friesland border.
• The Aekingerzand - open drifting sand near Appelscha, the last inland breeding site of the northern wheatear in the Netherlands.
• The Vledder Aa - one of the very few natural brooks left in the Netherlands, its upper course restored in 2002 and 2003.
• Open heath - the Doldersummerveld and Wapserveld in the south-west, good for birdwatching.

When to go

April to October. A day.

Before you go

Much of the woodland is planted forest, including non-native Douglas fir and Japanese larch. Dogs are not allowed on the Aekingerzand during the breeding season, from 1 March to 1 September. The wooden lookout tower at its edge was demolished on 5 March 2025 after an inspection found the wood rotten. Many visitors come to cycle: the park has an extensive network of asphalt cycle paths and separate mountain-bike routes.

Nearby

The Fochteloërveen is about 13 km north-east in a straight line; Appelscha lies on the park's north-eastern edge, about 7 km from its centre in a straight line.

Key facts