Discover Vledderveen

Discover Vledderveen through the different traces of its history and landscape: a memorial, farms connected with the Colonies of Benevolence, archaeological and geological remains, and routes through the surrounding area. Each place and route has its own focus. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are interested in local history, the development of the landscape or a particular route.

Remembrance and local history

The Joods monument in Vledderveen is an erratic boulder with a plaque. It commemorates 180 Jewish men who remained at Kamp Vledder from January 1942 until 2 October 1942. The street name Jodenweg is another link to these events: Jewish men from Kamp Vledder carried out roadwork there in 1942. The monument and the street name thus represent different forms of remembrance: a memorial and a place name still in use, with its historical significance.

Settlement and landscape

The landscape of Vledderveen reflects human influence through peat extraction, land reclamation and the Colonies of Benevolence between 1818 and 1824. An earlier phase in the area's development is associated with 1780: the Heloma brothers from Heerenveen set about developing Vledderveen, and ditches opened up the area from Friesland. After 1850, discharged and deserter colonists from Frederiksoord and Wilhelminaoord settled in Vledderveen's moorland and peat area with their many children.

The history of building and training is connected with two farms in different ways. The colony farm Immer Moed covers 20 hectares and was built between 1920 and 1925 to train colonists' children as farmers. The Werkhorst farm, also known as Hoeve De Werkhorst, dates from 1914 and was acquired by the Maatschappij van Weldadigheid in 1918. The dates and training purpose give each of these places its own role in the history of the settlement.

Archaeological traces and borders

Koelingsveld is home to a burial field with burial mounds dating from the Late Bronze Age. There are also several pingo remains near Vledderveen. These two features offer different perspectives on the surrounding area: the burial field is part of its archaeological history, while the pingo remains are part of its geological landscape.

Another site connected with the history of the colonies lies in the Vierdeparten area of Friesland. There are colony cottages along Oostvierdeparten road. The road runs about 200 metres parallel to Grensweg, the provincial border with Friesland. At this site, the location in Friesland, the colony cottages and the road's course in relation to the provincial border can therefore be considered together.

Routes through the surrounding area

The routes described differ in both length and points of interest. Route 1, which is 57.8 kilometres long, passes the churches of Vledder, Vledderveen, Frederiksoord, Wilhelminaoord, Havelte and Wapserveen. The 17-kilometre Rondje Vledder-Boschoord walking loop passes Vledderveen, follows the Blauwe Gat and returns to Vledder. While Route 1 connects several places with churches, the walking loop describes a route that returns to Vledder. Check the current route description before setting out, as route details may change.

The Ommetje op wielen route also goes to Vledderveen, where it follows P.W. Janssenlaan and Werkhorstlaan. For a break, Hoeve De Werkhorst is located between Vledder, Vledderveen and Doldersum, near walking junction 11. Check for seasonal arrangements before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Dwingeloo, Wapserveen, Nijensleek, Doldersum, Wateren, Dieverbrug, Wapse, Wilhelminaoord.

View the wider travel overview: Westerveld.