Veenhuizen: Prison History and Heritage

Veenhuizen combines an unusual local history with museums, guided tours and routes. During your stay, you can pair a closer look at the former prison village with short walks around the village, longer routes on foot or by bike, and other cultural experiences.

Local History and Museums

Veenhuizen was established in 1823 with three institutions, each intended for 1,200 residents. Until 1983, Veenhuizen was a closed, self-sufficient prison village. The Nationaal Gevangenismuseum is housed in the preserved Second Institution. Its permanent exhibition covers the history of Dutch criminal law as well as the history of Veenhuizen. At the museum, you can explore both the broader historical context and the history of the village itself.

A guided tour with a heritage guide introduces the history of Veenhuizen and passes several monuments. Another way to get to know the village is the Boevenbus: its route passes monumental buildings and prisons such as Esserheem and Norgerhaven. Boevenbus operating details may change; check the latest information about the ride before making plans.

Landscape and Routes

The landscape around the institutions has a rational layout and differs from both the Fochtelooërveen and the esdorpen landscape. The Fochteloërveen is nearby and is one of the last raised bog areas in Western Europe. There are walking and cycling routes in the vicinity of the area. This means that, alongside local history, different landscapes can also feature in your trip planning.

For a short route through Veenhuizen, try the signposted Gestichtsroute Veenhuizen – blue route. It is 2.2 kilometres long and marked with blue posts. Considerably longer is the 20-kilometre walk from Veenhuizen through the Slokkert Valley: it passes the Spanish Cemetery, follows streams and goes through forests to Norg and back to Veenhuizen. Comparing the distances can help you choose between a short village route and a longer walk, without implying a specific walking time.

The other routes also differ in how they tell their stories. The Ooggetuigenroute Veenhuizen can be explored on foot or by bike and includes ten video stories based on interviews with eyewitnesses. The theatrical audio route also takes you through Veenhuizen on foot or by bike. If you are interested in the village’s history, you can choose between video stories based on eyewitness interviews and a theatrical audio route.

Brewery and Crafts

At Bierbrouwerij MAALLUST, you can see the brewing process and sample speciality beers. The brewery is located in a former grain mill. The restoration studio and museum for graftrommels in Veenhuizen displays distinctive tools and shows how they are used. Restoring and exhibiting graftrommels also helps preserve this tradition. The brewery experience and crafts offer a different focus from the museum and local history.

When looking for a hotel, you could first consider which of these themes you would like to shape your stay: the history of the prison village, a guided tour, a route, the nearby raised bog or the brewery. This way, you can search for a hotel for your trip based on the activities that genuinely interest you.

Discover more destinations: Een, Roderesch, Een-West, Peize, Peest, Alteveer, Zuidvelde, Norg.

For the broader travel overview: Noordenveld.