Hiking

hiking couple drenthepad nature purple heathland

Discover South-West Drenthe - Step by step

In South-West Drenthe, you walk through a landscape that continues to surprise. Vast heathlands, quiet forests, meandering stream valleys and atmospheric village greens alternate effortlessly.
Here you can hear the rustling of the wind, the singing of birds and above all... tranquillity.

Whether you choose and short diversions or a long trek, each route introduces you to the pure beauty of this region that show a different face in every season.

Southwest Drenthe invites you to slow down, look and enjoy. Put on your walking shoes and experience it for yourself.

Highlights - You really must have done this

  • Nature-rich Ice and War Walk

    Discover this pleasant guided walk right through the fantastic Holtingerveld.
    This unique area, kneaded by ice and war, offers fantastic hiking opportunities every season.

    View walk dates
    Nature-rich Ice and War Walk Set of guided walks Holtingerveld

  • Drenthepad

    The Drenthepad is the oldest Long Distance Walk in the Netherlands. Set out and walk the 20 etapasses with a total length of 361 km!

    View the Drenthe Trail
    Drenthepad Drenthepad Nivon map route

  • Forest walk Spier (plank path)

    This signposted walk of about 5.5 km has already yielded many "Instagram-worthy pictures" due to the plank path which is part of this route.

    View the walking route here
    Forest walk Spier (plank path) hiking man plank path muscle dwingelderveld

  • The Nature Game

    The Nature Game is a magical tablet game, where you walk on a treasure map and the compass shows you the way, past movies, riddles, and interactive games. The story is unique and can only be experienced at this location (suitable for children aged 8 and over).

    More information
    The Nature Game The Nature Game experience route walk children ipad

  • City walk Hoogeveen (new)

    This signposted 3 km city walk shows you places and buildings worth seeing in Hoogeveen. They bring the history associated with peat extraction to life with unique videos where historical photos come to life.

    More information
    City walk Hoogeveen (new) City walk Hoogeveen, set at walking sign drummer

Which walk suits you? - From village diversions to long distance: what do you choose?

  • A nice evening walk or weekend stroll? Almost all villages in South-West Drenthe have their own village commutes.
    The routes are signposted, so you can simply follow the posts

    View all village tours
    Brink Diever

  • In Hoogeveen and Meppel, there are short, signposted city walks that introduce you to the historic centre.
    From spring 2026, these are expanded to include podwalk, history comes to life.
    Or join the organised guided city walk and hear stories and anecdotes from them.

    View all city walks
    guided city walk historical walk photo hoogeveen

  • Being outside together has never been so accessible: the family and wheelchair passes are wide, well-walked and barrier-free, so that visitors with wheelchairs, walkers or prams can also get around comfortably.

    View all family and wheelchair trails
    Family trail wheelchair accessible walking Dwingelderveld

  • Experience - Listen - Discover
    Step into a world where stories come alive. With these experience walks with audio and podcasts, you don't just walk through the landscape, you really dive in.

    View all experience routes
    Foodsteps hiking guide

  • Welcome to our experience trails for children; places where fantasy and nature meet.
    Here, walking becomes a voyage of discovery full of playful tasks and surprises along the way.

    View all experience trails and play forests
    playing children forest roekpad Echten

  • More than ten Long Distance Walks (LAW) pass through our region.
    Choose your stage for a wonderful, long walk!

    View all Long Distance Walks
    hiking couple drenthepad nature purple heathland

Walking with your dog

Your four-legged friend is also welcome in South-West Drenthe.
Breathe in the fresh outdoor air and watch your dog sniff enthusiastically along the winding forest paths. A number of areas have been designated where dogs are allowed to run loose. This may vary per period due to the breeding season. Check the current information on the websites of the nature reserves National Park Dwingelderveld, National Park Drents-Friese Wold and Holtingerveld.

Tips for going with your dog:

  • Spartel pond Drents-Friese Wold:
    Dogs like to play in the water and they can do so in the Spartelvijver. This pond is dug for dogs and horses. You will find this pond on the Canadaweg north of the Canada Lake.
  • 't Boshuys, Echten
    'T Boshuys is a cosy place at the edge of the Echten woods. It is ideal for a break during a hike. What's nice about 't Boshuys is that extra attention is paid to dogs. There is even a special dog menu available and photos of dogs are taken for the 'DOG-OF-FAME'.
  • Wet-noses route
    Walking route in the Drents-Friese Wold especially for dogs and their owners. The route is marked with yellow signs with a dog's paw print. On a large part of this route, dogs are allowed off-leash and in some places on a leash.
  • Public dog playground Hoogeveen
    This is not a standard dog playground, but a play, sniff and discover playground in a woodland setting.
hiking woman with dog nature national park dwingelderveld

Featured hiking trails

Walking junctions

There will come a time when you’ve walked every route in South-West Drenthe at least once (to be honest, we haven’t quite got there ourselves yet, but in theory it’s possible). Then, of course, you can simply walk the same routes again, but it’s just as much fun to put together your own route.

This is very easy to do using the walking junction network. You choose where to start, which junctions to link together and how long your walk will be. This means you can create a different route every time, perfectly suited to the moment, the weather or simply whatever takes your fancy.

Fancy setting off yourself? With Wandelnet’s route planner, you can put together your own walk in just a few steps.

  • Start from a place that suits you, such as your home, a car park or a village.
  • Choose the walking junction points you wish to follow.
  • Decide for yourself the length and direction of your route.
  • Download your route or use the app and set off straight away.
Start the route planner
Drenthepad junctions

Walking events in South-West Drenthe

3 x boardwalks in south-west Drenthe

Ramp trails are more popular than ever, which is not surprising. Walking on narrow wooden paths through moors, bogs and along fens makes a route just that little bit different. The paths take you to places you wouldn't normally just go and give you the feeling of walking in the middle of nature.

In South-West Drenthe, you will find several beautiful boardwalks in the national parks. From a walk through the Dwingelderveld to routes in the Drents-Friese Wold: along the way, you walk on wooden paths through wet nature and special landscapes.

Discover the three boardwalks
Walking plank path Dwingelderveld

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