Vredenheim: Hamlet, Farms and Routes

Vredenheim is a young hamlet northwest of Grolloo, on the road of the same name. Agriculture continues to shape the area. Its farmsteads, the Westerveld arable and pasture complex, and several named routes offer different points of reference for understanding the area. The Grolloo-Doortraproute passes through Vredenheim on its way from Landgoed De Berenkuil in Grolloo to the small esdorp of Amen.

Hamlet, Farms and Countryside

The road of the same name runs partly through the Westerveld arable and pasture complex. East of Vredenheim, it becomes Hogeveldweg; this road runs alongside the partly cultivated Rolderveld heathland towards Papenvoort. The two names refer to different types of landscape: Westerveld denotes the arable and pasture complex, while Rolderveld refers to the partly cultivated heathland. Between Vredenheim and Grolloo, at Vredenheimseweg 9, is Iemenhoeve, a care farm and campsite. The large De Berenkuil recreation area lies between Vredenheim, Amerweg and Rolderstraat.

The Farmsteads and Their Building History

All four farms bore the name “Vredenheim” and were built on the present-day plots at Vredenheim 5, 6, 8 and 10. The shared name connects the group of farms to the name of the hamlet, while the current numbers identify the four locations. Vredenheim 5 is a farm built in 1880, with a hipped-end, tiled gabled roof and a chimney. On a hipped-end gabled roof, the gable ends are sloped as well as the two main roof planes. This farm therefore combines a specific year of construction with a precisely described roof style.

Walking and Cycling Routes

The 25 km Grolloo-Doortraproute starts at the car park by Landgoed De Berenkuil campsite, De Pol 15 in Grolloo. From there, it passes through Vredenheim on its way to the small esdorp of Amen. For orientation, both the precise starting point and the route through the hamlet to the stated destination are useful.

The description of the Groller Field and Es Walking Route, published in 2022, outlines another route in the area. After crossing the Grolloo–Rolde road, the path enters the hamlet of Vredenheim and passes through a nature area. There, the owner of De Berenkuil campsite has laid out a route with several information boards. The route described passes old hedgerows before reaching the gate of De Berenkuil; through the gate, you can follow the Westerveldroute.

The two routes offer different points of reference: for the Grolloo-Doortraproute, the 25 km length, start and destination are specified. The walking route description, by contrast, names the entrance to Vredenheim and the sequence of the nature area, hedgerows and De Berenkuil gate. This lets you compare the designated cycling route with the specific landscape features along the walking route described.

Early Settlement and Regional History

Archaeological finds from the late Stone Age in the area around Vredenheim suggest that people were living there before the Common Era. The reference is therefore to the area surrounding the hamlet and dates back long before the history of the farmsteads mentioned above.

Events preceding the liberation of Grolloo on 12 April are also part of regional history: in the days beforehand, French paratroopers landed at various locations in Drenthe, including the area between Kamp Westerbork and Grolloo, from Halkenbroeken to Vredenheim.

Discover more destinations: Anloo, Rolde, Papenvoort, Gasselternijveen, Nieuwediep, Gieten, Gasselte, Eext

For the overview of the wider area: Aa En Hunze.