Groningen & Drenthe, The Netherlands (2021)

We loved looking at the pavilion by the pond in the backyard of the hotel we stayed in near the town of Westerlee, Groningen, The Netherlands.

After having seen a few graves on the front side we found more graves at the rear of the church in the village of Niehove, located in the province of Groningen, The Netherlands.

The historic churchyard wraps around the 13th-century church situated on a high, ancient dwelling mound (wierde). Historically, this tranquil burial ground was separated from the village by a circular moat, built to ensure resting spirits stayed on the grounds and out of the village.

Preserved historic walls in the small city of Appingedam, located in the province of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Nowadays Appingedam still looks indispensable as a small city. Many original medieval premises can be found in the centre. The most famous sight is the hanging kitchens above the Damsterdiep.

Hanging kitchens in the city of Appingedam, located in the province of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Appingedam is a picturesque, historic city in the northeastern part of the country. It is most famous for its unique medieval 'hanging kitchens' (hangende keukens) that overhang the Damsterdiep canal. These historic structures were built suspended above the water to save space during the Middle Ages.

Looking into the Solwerdersstreet, one of the many medieval streets in the city of Appingedam in the province of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Besides the city of Groningen, it is the only place in the province that holds medieval city rights (first granted in the 13th century). Nowadays Appingedam still looks indispensable as a small city. Many original medieval premises can be found in the centre.

Crossing the red drawbridge into the fortified town of Bourtange in the province of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Fort Bourtange is a unique, star-shaped fortified village, right near the border of Germany. Built originally in 1593 during the Eighty Years' War under the orders of William of Orange, it serves today as a beautifully restored, fully functioning historical open-air museum where time stops in the year 1742.

The totally empty Market Square in the fortified town of Bourtange in the province of Groningen, The Netherlands. In normal times many people would gather around the central square shaded by ancient lime trees, featuring a historic well and cobblestone streets. The historic cobblestones are uneven and sometimes hard to manage, but the village is generally accessible.

Approaching dolmen D27 near the village of Borger in the province of Drenthe in The Netherlands.

Dolmen D27 is the largest prehistoric tomb in the Netherlands. Built by the Funnelbeaker culture around 3400 BCE, this megalithic monument serves as a massive communal burial site. It is the first dolmen in the Netherlands that was archeologically excavated (in 1685 by Titia Brongersma). Excavations uncovered numerous pottery fragments, stone tools, and flint arrowheads.

It was insanely quiet in the village of Orvelte. Orvelte is an ancient 'es-dorp' (historic farming village) in the province of Drenthe, The Netherlands. Known as the 'primeval village' of Drenthe, it offers a living time capsule of Dutch rural life around the year 1900.

It was a lovely experience walking the narrow boardwalk through the forest in the Dwingelderveld National Park, located in the province of Drenthe, The Netherlands.

Officially called the 'Plankenpad' (Boardwalk trail), This 5.5-kilometre forest walk took us to surprising places. Walking over the narrow paths we got to enjoy wide views. At the end, we walked a bit over duckboards or the planks that gave this path its name.