Klijndijk: Hiking, Forest and History

In Klijndijk, you can combine hiking with insights into the history of the village. Woodland, burial mounds and places of remembrance give a trip different points of focus. When planning, it is worth considering the specific trails and the places that interest you separately.

Hiking Through Woodland and Countryside

A Staatsbosbeheer hiking trail runs through the Zietakkerbos. There is also a nature trail with information about various birds and their nest boxes. This gives a walk its own focus: in addition to the trail itself, the birds and their nesting sites take centre stage. As far as is known, the Zietakkerbos was established around 1920 to 1930 as part of a job-creation scheme. The trees were planted for timber production.

The Valtherbos also combines woodland scenery with archaeological traces. The woodland covers about 450 hectares and includes several burial mounds as well as the megalithic tomb Hunebed D35. Several hiking trails in the area of the Onderduikershol pass by the monument. A cycling route towards Emmen runs close by.

A six-kilometre hiking route created by the UNESCO Global Geopark De Hondsrug starts at the car park at Melkweg 42 in Klijndijk and passes Eppiesbergje. The tall burial mound lies in the fields north of the road from Odoorn to Valthe. It is believed to date from around 2500 BC and continued to be used as a burial place. From the car park on Melkweg, hikers can also follow the path to Hunebed D35. These destinations give the route an archaeological focus, while its length provides a practical point of reference for planning.

Places of Remembrance and Local History

Jodenhol is an underground shelter in the Valtherbos, on Westerweg in Klijndijk. It has been restored as far as possible to its condition around 1945. From December 1942 until the liberation on 11 April 1945, a total of 16 Jewish people found shelter there for shorter or longer periods. Following extensive restoration, Jodenhol was officially reopened on 20 April 2004. Guided tours of the Onderduikershol are available by prior request by email; arrange your tour before arriving.

An information board at the monument was unveiled by relatives of former people in hiding. It also marks the approximately 400-metre path to the A-Boom. The tree bears the letter A, carved into it; beside it is a commemorative plaque at the site of a second hiding place from the Second World War. Aaltjo Oldenburger, who had been involved in this second hiding place, unveiled the plaque in May 2013. A reconstructed circular opening at the Onderduikershol gives an impression of the former appearance and location of the seven-metre-deep water well, which supplied fresh water during the war.

Roughly in the middle of the clearing stands a lime tree, planted in 1984 during the ceremony to unveil “Het Monument”. Every year on 4 May, the 4 mei Comité Valthe-Klijndijk organises a commemorative event. The history of the place can therefore be explored both through individual memorials and as part of the annual act of remembrance.

The church on Hoofdweg also tells the story of the village: hidden behind trees, it was built around 1900. It housed the Hervormde Evangelisatiegemeente, which had about 25 members, and was called “De goede Herder”. Since 2010, a bust of the artist Max Douwes, created by Lia Krol, has stood at the end of Zietak. Another artwork, “Kringloop van het Leven”, made of glass and metal, is located at the large roundabout in Klijndijk.

The village’s development is also linked to the waterside landscape. The Odoornerzijtak side canal was built around 1860; shortly afterwards, Klijndijk developed at its end. A trip through the village brings together woodland trails, archaeological remains and more recent memorials with a settlement history connected to the canal.

Discover more destinations: Odoorn, Valthermond, Bronneger, Drouwen, Ees, Buinen, Tweede Exloërmond, Drouwenermond.

Back to the main travel overview: Borger-Odoorn.