Appelscha: Discover nature, trails and history

Appelscha lies on the edge of the 61-square-kilometre Drents-Friese Wold National Park. Nature trails, viewpoints and local history give the area a range of different attractions. If you’re looking for a hotel in Appelscha, you could first consider whether you’d like to combine your stay with walks, art and history, or a cycling tour.

Nature and trails around the Bosberg

The Bosbergtoren stands on the Bosberg, the highest point on the Frisian mainland. The tower is 33 metres high and offers views across the three provinces of Friesland, Drenthe and Groningen. An elevator also enables people with limited mobility to enjoy the experience.

The Bosbergpad is a short walking trail through Drents-Friese Wold. Information boards along the trail cover nature-related topics. The paved path is accessible to wheelchair users, people using walkers and visitors with pushchairs. It leads from the centre of Appelscha; there is an access point with parking and accessible parking spaces at Bosberg 2. As the accessibility information relates to the current condition of the trail, it’s a good idea to check the conditions on site before your visit.

The Familiepad in Drents-Friese Wold offers a different kind of route: it is a 2.2-kilometre forest loop starting at the Buitencentrum Drents-Friese Wold. The trail is accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs; its information boards are lowered and include Braille. In the Speelbos Drents-Friese Wold, a hill leads to a viewpoint. This gives you a choice of short walking trails, a clearly described forest loop and a viewpoint as different ideas for your stay.

The surrounding area also reveals different perspectives by bike. The Van boven tot bodem route is 18.3 kilometres long and introduces Appelscha and its surroundings. Another cycling route from Appelscha passes through forest and heathland landscapes along the old Turfroute. The 100 km van Appelscha route passes various sights and stalls selling regional products.

History, art and culture

The Openluchttheater De Koele is at the foot of the Bosberg. It was established in 1947 as a very simple, temporary theatre. In 2003, the Historische Vereniging Appelscha e.o. had the theatre renovated and restored with European funding. The theatre season runs from June to September; check the current programme before visiting.

The history of the area goes back further, too: in the 17th century, Appelscha was known as Appelsche. The centre at the time, today’s Boerestreek, had thirteen farms. If you’d like to include public art in your explorations, there are two Hein Mader art trails with 18 sculptures in total. Appelscha is their central starting point. The sculpture De Scheper was designed by Mindert Wilstra and installed on Maurits Van Eppelaan in Appelscha.

Other historical sites include the Oorlogsmonument, which commemorates the Dutch resistance in the Second World War and, in particular, those who fell in Appelscha, as well as the Modelboerderij. This model farm was built in 1914 and is a Dutch national monument. There are also two locks in the built-up area, on the Opsterlandse Compagnonsvaart; they are also called “verlaten”. The cultural-historical Turfroute boat route runs through Het Andere Friesland and, in Appelscha among other places, tells stories about social groups and peat extraction.

Plan your visits and choose what to focus on

Some specific details can help with planning your day. De Hoolten Klinte in Appelscha is open on Tuesday mornings from 09:00 to 11:30. The season at the Openluchttheater runs from June to September, but the programme may vary from year to year. For trails with accessibility information, check the conditions on site. This will help you distinguish between set opening hours, seasonal events and trail conditions when choosing activities.

The route descriptions also offer different kinds of guidance: the Bosbergpad focuses on nature-related topics and a paved path, the Familiepad is described as a 2.2-kilometre forest loop, and a cycling route is listed as 18.3 kilometres long. These differences can help you plan your stay around the activities that interest you. Information about viewpoints, art and local history adds to the options, without requiring you to focus on just one theme.

Discover more destinations: Waskemeer, Donkerbroek, Fochteloo, Oosterwolde, Haule, Oldeberkoop, Ravenswoud, Elsloo.

For the main travel overview: Ooststellingwerf.