Discover Peize: Walking Trails, Organ History and Hop Gardens

Peize combines routes through natural and watery landscapes with a distinctive organ history and traces of its former hop trade. When choosing it as a destination, it depends on which aspect interests you more: a walk with clearly stated distances, historic churches and buildings, or local gardens and everyday life. The village centre’s open layout, with greenery, terraces and a few shops, is also part of its character.

Walking and getting outdoors

From Peize, you can head straight into De Onlanden, an extensive nature reserve and water storage area. Several walking routes run along and through the Peizermaden. This makes both the landscape and specific routes relevant to planning a trip.

The stated distances help you gauge the length of the walks: the De Onlanden walking route is just under seven kilometres long. The 12.5-kilometre “Dorpsommetje ’t Paiser Hopje plus de Onlanden” passes through Peize, by several historic sites and through the De Onlanden and De Stenhorsten nature areas. The walk can be shortened to an approximately six-kilometre village loop. This shorter option is part of the named circular walk; the just-under-seven-kilometre distance is for a different, separately named route.

There are options for cycling, too: you can download or create your own cycling routes around Peize, and ride through the expansive landscape of De Onlanden. Regular guided birdwatching, cycling and deer excursions depart from De Onlanderij in Eelderwolde and take place in De Onlanden. If you plan to join one, it is worth checking the latest dates.

Gardens and hop-growing history

Hops are still grown at Hoptuin Peize. Historically, many farmers in the village sold hop cones to brewers in the surrounding area, as well as in Germany and England. The garden represents the continuation of hop growing; the sale of the cones is part of the history of the former trade. The Heemtuin offers another perspective as a plant garden featuring various native plants typical of the region.

Another local feature is the Molenwinkel at the Paiser Meul, where bread made with wheat from the Paiser Meul is sold. The Beweegpark on Boerakkerweg offers a different focus. This multifunctional park gives clubs, residents and passers-by a place to exercise outdoors.

Churches, buildings and music

Peize’s Dorpskerk houses the Verbeeck-Schnitger-Hinsz organ, dating from 1631. The Schnitger organ is the oldest organ in Drenthe and contains more than 1,000 pipes. Another historic item in the church is the baptismal font: it is about 800 years old and was carved from a single block of sandstone. The Provincial Museum bought the font at the end of 1883; in 1988, it was returned to the church on loan. The Stichting Schnitgerorgel Peize also organises benefit concerts.

Other buildings reveal different periods of history. The tower of the Ned. Herv. Kerk dates from 1803. Huis ter Hansouwe is the surviving part of a building that originally existed as early as the 16th century and was incorporated into a farm dating from 1837. This is distinct from Huis te Peize at Brinkweg 2: its surviving section has a coat-of-arms stone on one gable façade, bearing two coats of arms and the date “Anno 1706”.

Walks and village character

Tour Elektrik is a completed walking project in Peize in which local artists decorated electricity boxes. The project offers an artistic perspective on the village for anyone out for a walk. The village centre, meanwhile, has an open layout with plenty of greenery, terraces and a few shops. The village information thus brings together a range of interests: a walking project, a green centre, and specific sites reflecting the history of its churches and buildings.

Discover more destinations: Roden, Alteveer, Peest, Zuidvelde, Een, Westervelde, Veenhuizen, Roderwolde.

For the overview of the wider region: Noordenveld.