Assen
The Drents Museum with the Pesse canoe.
Route by public transport ↗
Dolmens, heathland and the Colonies of Benevolence.
4 museumsDrenthe is the land of the dolmens, the tombs of the first farmers. But it also has a remarkable World Heritage Site: the Colonies of Benevolence, where poor city families had to build a new life two hundred years ago.
Drenthe is best explored from Assen, by bus or by bike. In Borger stands the largest dolmen in the Netherlands, with the Hunebedcentrum next to it. In Schoonoord, the open-air museum Ellert en Brammert tells of life on the Drenthe heath. In Frederiksoord, Museum De Proefkolonie shows how the first Colony of Benevolence began, and in Veenhuizen the National Prison Museum tells what came next. Art lovers head to Museum De Buitenplaats in Eelde, close to Groningen. Between them all lie village greens, open fields and endless cycle paths.
One day, four moments. How to get the most out of your visit.
Six places to complete your museum day.
At the largest dolmen in the Netherlands, learn who built these stone tombs, and how.
The story of the first Colony of Benevolence, with cottages and farms from that time.
In the old prison village of Veenhuizen: two hundred years of punishment, from beggars' colony to modern prison.
Open-air museum about life on the Drenthe heath, with farms, sod huts and the legend of two robbers.
Figurative art in a museum with a beautiful garden.
Buy your tickets online and plan the rest of your day around them.
All museums in Drenthe. Click a museum for the route.
Drenthe lies in the north-east, between Groningen, Friesland and Overijssel.
The Drents Museum with the Pesse canoe.
Route by public transport ↗A museum village with farms, crafts and a village green.
Route by public transport ↗A place of remembrance of the deportation of Jews, Sinti and Roma in the Second World War.
Route by public transport ↗Travel times are indicative. Live times on 9292.nl ↗.
Drenthe has many B&Bs, small hotels and holiday parks in the woods. Assen and Groningen are good bases by train. Rent an (electric) bike: Drenthe has one of the best cycle networks in the country.
Restaurants, shops and hotels near the museums, picked for museum visitors.