Bellingwolde: Village History and Walking Routes

Bellingwolde is a dispersed village with medieval origins. The original village centre lies in the north, near the church and the Rechthuis. The Magnuskerk and Het Rechthuis offer different historical highlights, alongside walking routes and a longer section of the Noaberpad. You can tailor your stay to the village’s history, a walk through and around the village, or a longer hike.

Village History and Buildings

The Magnuskerk was built in 1527 as a Late Gothic church, after the 1509 Dollard flood severely damaged an earlier church. Several cross-ribbed vaults are among its features. The church also has a pulpit whose back panel and sounding board date from 1660. The construction date and features therefore point to different periods: 1527 for the church building and 1660 for the pulpit components mentioned.

According to the wall anchors on the front façade, Het Rechthuis was built in 1643. The core of the building is probably even older; a courthouse may already have stood there in 1456. The front façade is designed in the 18th-century style, while the rear façade is in the 17th-century style. Het Rechthuis is currently used as a private residence and cannot be visited. Bellingwolde is a protected village landscape where history and culture come together.

Art and Regional History

MOW I Museum Westerwolde presents changing exhibitions, mainly focused on art and also on the history and worldview of Westerwolde. Each major exhibition has a dedicated tour for children and various activities. The programme may change with each exhibition.

Walking Routes and Landscapes

Two walking routes differ in both length and course. Route 8: De Lethe Bellingwolde is 8.3 kilometres long, passes through and around Bellingwolde, and goes by the old defensive work Redoute. Route 37: Veendiep, Bellingwolde–Vriescheloo, is 11 kilometres long and follows the Veendiep between the two villages. This gives you a shorter route connected to the village and a longer one between two villages.

For a longer hike, take the Noaberpad section from Bad Nieuweschans to Bellingwolde. It is 22.1 kilometres long, takes 5.5 hours, and passes through the De Lethe nature reserve. It is longer than both walking routes; the 5.5-hour duration also gives you a specific time frame. Before setting out, check the current route and conditions, as both may change.

The small De Lethe walking area includes rows of trees, meadows, ditches and various animal species. The area also has a military history: two defensive works were built there in 1797 and connected by a dike.

The Veendiep nature reserve includes the canal, associated lakes created by sand extraction for road construction, and a nearby woodland. The lakes’ origins, shaped by road construction, as well as the canal and woodland, are all features of the Veendiep landscape.

Discover more destinations: Wedde, Vriescheloo, Oudeschans

Return to the main travel overview: Bellingwedde.