Along mysterious megalithic tombs
Borger, Schoonloo, Drouwen
One in three of Drenthe's hunebeds is located within Borger's municipal boundaries. So too is the Hunebedcentrum, located near the largest hunebed in the Netherlands, in Borger that is. This cycle route takes you past these hunebeds and more. Some of the hunebeds on this route stand in pairs of two, and there is even a trio of hunebeds that together form a triangle. Why these hunebeds were placed so close together has never been elucidated, despite the many studies on the megalithic burial monuments. The hunebeds are the oldest visible structures in the Netherlands, built by the Funnel Beaker people around 4400 BC. These prehistoric people used gigantic boulders, which were brought to the Netherlands from Scandinavia during the ice age. The boulders (megaliths) could sometimes weigh up to 40 tonnes. Using primitive means and a lot of manpower, they managed to move these colossal stones and stack them into impressive burial monuments. How exactly they did this still remains partially veiled in mists, although you can see a possible answer to this question at the Hunebed Centre in Borger. Within the funerary crypts of the Funnel Beaker people, which they dug under the dolmens, many special objects were found. These include the characteristic funnel cups, but also other pottery such as bowls, bottles and buckets, as well as weapons, jewellery and human remains. These artefacts give us insight into the customs and rituals of the Funnel Beaker people. They were carefully placed in the burial chambers, possibly as grave goods to accompany the deceased into the afterlife. At the Drents Museum in Assen and the Hunebedcentrum in Borger, many of the excavated artefacts are in the collection and can be admired. Over the centuries, the hunebeds have had a lot to endure. In the Middle Ages, they were often seen as demonic works and the stones were sometimes reused to build churches and other buildings. Fortunately, in later centuries, many of these stones were recovered and put back where possible. Systematic research on dolmens began in the early 20th century with Professor Dr Albert van Giffen. He documented and restored many hunebeds on behalf of the Dutch government. His work laid the foundation for our current understanding of these monuments, although his findings have not proved uncontroversial. During his restorations, he regularly relied on, what he himself called, guesswork, because the original situation could not always be determined with certainty. Later, in the years between 1960 and 1970, Dr Jan Albert Bakker focused on the contents of the burial chambers, resulting in a wealth of information on the rituals and daily life of the Funnel Beaker people. Any new investigations will no longer involve excavations. This is partly because soil research inevitably affects the original situation and partly because new excavations are not expected to lead to new insights. So future archaeologists will have to devise other techniques for their investigations. But it remains likely that the megalithic tombs will also always remain somewhat of a mystery. And that may make them just a little bit more interesting! This Premium cycling route was compiled by our editor: Désirée van Uffelen.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Westdorperstraat 29, 9443 TM Aa en Hunze | 30.8 KM | |
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From
51
to
87
|
1860 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head north on Weg langs de Strubben | 629 M | ||
| Turn right onto Warmenbossenweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 87 | 0 M | ||
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From
87
to
93
|
2516 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head east | 157 M | ||
| Keep right at the fork | 423 M | ||
| Turn right | 667 M | ||
| Turn left onto Koestukkenweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 93 | 0 M | ||
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From
93
to
94
|
2426 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head north on Stroetendijk | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right | 649 M | ||
| Turn left | 82 M | ||
| Turn right onto Jacob Trippad | 135 M | ||
| You are now at section 94 | 0 M | ||
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From
94
to
86
|
1994 M | 2 KM | |
| Head northeast | 2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 86 | 0 M | ||
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From
86
to
42
|
2678 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head northeast | 42 M | ||
| Turn right onto Steenhopenweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right | 24 M | ||
| Turn left onto Steenhopenweg | 362 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Steenhopenweg | 607 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 7 M | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
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From
42
to
43
|
3044 M | 3 KM | |
| Head north on Borgerderstraat | 141 M | ||
| Turn right onto Markeweg | 356 M | ||
| Turn right onto Bosweg | 53 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Alinghoek | 561 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kerkweg | 750 M | ||
| Turn left | 817 M | ||
| Continue onto Steenakkersweg | 347 M | ||
| Turn left onto Dorpsstraat | 19 M | ||
| You are now at section 43 | 0 M | ||
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From
43
to
41
|
1956 M | 2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Molenweg | 203 M | ||
| Turn right onto Westerlandsweg | 1.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 41 | 0 M | ||
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From
41
to
88
|
646 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head southeast on Mammoetpad | 253 M | ||
| Turn right | 370 M | ||
| Continue onto Buinerstraat | 23 M | ||
| You are now at section 88 | 0 M | ||
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From
88
to
28
|
739 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head southeast | 22 M | ||
| Turn left | 131 M | ||
| Turn left | 53 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Drift | 533 M | ||
| You are now at section 28 | 0 M | ||
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From
28
to
22
|
709 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head southwest | 474 M | ||
| Keep left at the fork | 235 M | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
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From
22
to
17
|
2496 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head west | 6 M | ||
| Continue straight | 343 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 17 | 0 M | ||
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From
17
to
57
|
2863 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head southwest | 520 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Mepscheweg | 33 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kanaalstraat | 2.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
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From
57
to
74
|
5241 M | 5.2 KM | |
| Head southwest on Bosweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Boerveensweg | 990 M | ||
| Turn left onto Ellertsweg | 626 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right | 927 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
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From
74
to
51
|
1609 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head northeast | 371 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Brinkakkers | 255 M | ||
| Continue straight | 378 M | ||
| Turn left | 503 M | ||
| Turn left onto Westdorperstraat | 102 M | ||
| You are now at section 51 | 0 M |