Cycle route through the Fochteloërveen
Appelscha, Smilde, Fochteloo
On the border of Friesland and Drenthe lies the Fochteloërveen, an extraordinary nature reserve. All around you you see peat as far as the eye can see. What makes this area unique is that it is one of the last raised bog areas in Western Europe. The soil is very wet, which attracts various animal species characteristic of this type of landscape. When cycling here, you might just come across cranes, blue harriers and bog haybirds (butterflies). In the 17th century, peat was excavated on a large scale around Fochteloo. This was dried into peat to be used as fuel in households. So the Fochteloërveen almost disappeared, but in 1938 Natuurmonumenten managed to put a stop to this. It bought up the first 200 hectares and was thus able to secure the vulnerable peat bog. This cycle route introduces you to the beautiful nature. Climb the watchtower and watch birds and other animals at one of the bird-watching huts. Enjoy the silence along the way, so you will return home fully rested after today.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Boerestreek , 8426 BN Ooststellingwerf | 48.3 KM | |
|
From
91
to
63
|
4520 M | 4.5 KM | |
| Head southwest | 23 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.7 KM | ||
| Continue onto Bosberg | 667 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left | 917 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oude Willem | 169 M | ||
| You are now at section 63 | 0 M | ||
|
From
63
to
89
|
6223 M | 6.2 KM | |
| Head northeast | 605 M | ||
| Turn right | 334 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oude Willem | 1 KM | ||
| Turn left | 829 M | ||
| Turn right | 533 M | ||
| Turn left onto Tilgrupsweg | 966 M | ||
| Turn right onto Drentseweg | 1.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 89 | 0 M | ||
|
From
89
to
96
|
825 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head north on Tolhekslaan | 667 M | ||
| Turn right onto Vaart Zuidzijde | 132 M | ||
| Turn left | 26 M | ||
| You are now at section 96 | 0 M | ||
|
From
96
to
92
|
2586 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head east on Vaart Noordzijde | 611 M | ||
| Turn left onto Compagnonsweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| Make a sharp right | 764 M | ||
| Turn left onto Menneweg | 68 M | ||
| You are now at section 92 | 0 M | ||
|
From
92
to
28
|
3262 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head southeast | 850 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kymmelswijk | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Rijksweg | 57 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 15 M | ||
| Turn left | 31 M | ||
| Continue onto Hoofdweg | 42 M | ||
| Turn right | 10 M | ||
| Continue onto Boerenlaan | 954 M | ||
| You are now at section 28 | 0 M | ||
|
From
28
to
29
|
3538 M | 3.5 KM | |
| Head southeast on Boerenlaan | 699 M | ||
| Continue straight | 8 M | ||
| Turn right | 757 M | ||
| Turn right | 779 M | ||
| Turn left | 7 M | ||
| Continue straight | 31 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Paaskamp | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Eekhoutswijk | 129 M | ||
| You are now at section 29 | 0 M | ||
|
From
29
to
30
|
2219 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head northeast on Paaskamp | 2.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
|
From
30
to
14
|
1940 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Witterweg | 1.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
97
|
3118 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head northwest on Witterweg | 190 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hoofdweg | 114 M | ||
| Turn left | 7 M | ||
| Continue onto Meester Sickensbrug | 2.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 97 | 0 M | ||
|
From
97
to
61
|
154 M | 0.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Meesterswijk | 148 M | ||
| Keep left onto Lancaster Fietspad | 6 M | ||
| You are now at section 61 | 0 M | ||
|
From
61
to
23
|
3149 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head west | 233 M | ||
| Keep right at the fork | 2.7 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Stallaan | 241 M | ||
| You are now at section 23 | 0 M | ||
|
From
23
to
63
|
2058 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head west on Kolonievaart | 526 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Kolonievaart | 5 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 125 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 63 | 0 M | ||
|
From
63
to
64
|
4289 M | 4.3 KM | |
| Head west | 25 M | ||
| Turn left | 40 M | ||
| Turn left | 43 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 4.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
|
From
64
to
66
|
2477 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head south on Fochtelooërveen; Fochtelooerveen | 513 M | ||
| Turn left | 2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 66 | 0 M | ||
|
From
66
to
75
|
2271 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head southwest | 2.3 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Bokslootsweg | 11 M | ||
| You are now at section 75 | 0 M | ||
|
From
75
to
90
|
4100 M | 4.1 KM | |
| Head southwest on Bokslootsweg | 398 M | ||
| Turn right onto Willemstad | 1.9 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Zuideinde | 321 M | ||
| Turn left onto Vaart Noordzijde | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 90 | 0 M | ||
|
From
90
to
91
|
1613 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head southwest on Bovenstverlaat | 27 M | ||
| Turn right onto Vaart Zuidzijde | 877 M | ||
| Turn left onto Van Emstweg | 650 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Boerestreek | 38 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Boerestreek | 21 M | ||
| You are now at section 91 | 0 M |