Mantinge: Juniper, heathland and historic forests

Around Mantinge, different landscapes and traces of history come together: juniper and heathland in Mantingerzand, an old forest north of the village, and routes for hikers and cyclists. When planning your trip, you can first consider whether you want to focus on the heathland, the history of the forest, or a particular route.

Heathland, juniper and landforms

Mantingerzand lies between the villages of Mantinge and Nieuw-Balinge and consists mainly of heathland, wetlands and forest, along with a few small areas of shifting sand. The area is better known as Mantingerveld. Its landscape therefore includes not only heathland, but also wet habitats, forest and open areas of shifting sand.

Hundreds of juniper bushes grow in Mantingerzand. The area has been managed as a juniper reserve since 1970. The landscape also includes the old Scots pine “De oude den”, which is more than 100 years old. The juniper and pine thus give the landscape distinct, specifically named natural features.

The area is also distinguished by its landforms. The “Dekzand- en stuifzandrug Mantinge-Nieuw Balinge” ridge features clearly visible coversand landforms, including long coversand ridges. At the same time, its shifting-sand landforms, with wind-scoured depressions, are comparatively well preserved. The long ridges and depressions represent two distinct forms of relief.

The wetlands of Mantingerveld provide habitats for amphibians, insects and plants. For 25 years, Natuurmonumenten has been working to connect four small nature areas north of Hoogeveen into one large, continuous heathland called Mantingerveld.

Mantingerbos and local history

The centuries-old Mantingerbos lies north of Mantinge. This Natura 2000 site covers 46 hectares. The forest complex is a remnant of a once-larger primeval forest—an historical classification that distinguishes it from a description of it as simply an old forest.

Mantingerbos also has distinctive ecological features: it has one of the oldest undisturbed forest soils in Drenthe and an oak forest dominated by holly, unique in Drenthe. The history of Mantinge, an esdorp, also reaches far back, to the Middle Ages. The forest and village thus offer different points of interest if you are as curious about the area’s nature as you are about its historical development.

Hiking and cycling

The “Jeneverbesroute Mantingerveld” hiking route starts at the Natuurmonumenten car park on Mantingerdijk and is marked with white route arrows. It passes through several small heathland areas south of Mantinge. The route information therefore specifies both a starting point and trail markers to help with navigation.

Another option is the “Fietsroute natuur bij Mantinge” cycling route. It is 72 kilometres long and passes through three nature areas in Drenthe. The features described make it easy to distinguish between the two routes: the hiking route focuses on its starting point, markers and the heathland areas south of Mantinge, while the cycling route is described by its length and the number of nature areas it crosses.

The route that suits your plans therefore also depends on whether you want to explore several small heathland areas on foot or cycle a 72-kilometre route through three nature areas. Together with Mantingerzand and Mantingerbos, these offer a range of nature and history themes to shape your trip to Mantinge around.

Discover more destinations: Orvelte, Witteveen, Hooghalen, Hoogersmilde, Wijster, Drijber, Beilen, Zwiggelte

For the overview of the wider area: Midden-Drenthe.