Drenthe is the quietest province in the Netherlands, and you can tell from the parks. Almost all of them lie within fifty kilometres of each other, around the Hondsrug ridge and the Drentsche Aa valley. The difference is not in the surroundings but in the scale: you choose between a large family park with everything laid on, or a small park where what you are really buying is quiet.
Parkzie lists 12 holiday parks in Drenthe with 198 accommodations. Here is the difference.
The large parks: pool, restaurant, activities
Three parks stand out for their size. Het Land van Bartje in Ees has 64 accommodations, the largest offering on Parkzie anywhere in the Netherlands. Hof van Saksen in Nooitgedacht has 30, built around a Saxon farmhouse. Orveltermarke near Witteveen counts 27.
What you get here is choice. More house types, more sizes, and usually facilities such as an indoor pool, a restaurant and an activity programme. For families with children who need something to do when it rains, that is the difference between a good week and a long one.
Het Land van Bartje alone offers more than the six smallest Drenthe parks combined.
The large parks are also where groups go. Het Land van Bartje and Hof van Saksen sleep up to 24, Orveltermarke up to 20. At the small parks it usually stops at six or eight.
Who suits the large park?
- Families with children up to about twelve
- Groups of twelve people and up
- Anyone who wants an indoor pool for rainy days
- Holidaymakers who would rather not cook every night
The small parks: forest, silence and cycling
The other nine parks are of a different order. Aelderholt in Aalden, Hunerwold State in Wateren, Roodewoud near Rolde: parks of four to sixteen accommodations, usually in woodland, usually without a large facilities package.
What you are buying here is the setting. Drenthe is the most sparsely populated province in the Netherlands, and you notice it the moment you leave the car behind. Cycle paths over sandy tracks, megalithic tombs within walking distance, and at night it gets properly dark.
At the small parks, the surroundings are the programme.
All twelve parks sit close together, roughly between Ruinen and Gasselternijveen. That means the surroundings are the same for both kinds: the Hondsrug, the Drentsche Aa valley and Dwingelderveld National Park are within half an hour of almost every park.
Who suits the small park?
- Couples looking for quiet without organised activities
- Cyclists and walkers
- Anyone who prefers cooking to eating out
- Families with small children who do not need a pool
When to go
Drenthe is one of the few provinces that is just as appealing out of season. In August the heather flowers on the Dwingelderveld and the Hondsrug; in October the woods turn. July and August are busiest, especially at the large parks.
In short
- Widest choice: Het Land van Bartje (Ees), 64 accommodations
- Groups up to 24: Het Land van Bartje, Hof van Saksen
- Small and quiet: Hunerwold State, Roodewoud, Drentse Lagune
- Unusual setting: Hof van Saksen, in a Saxon farmhouse
- Near the tombs: Borger, Exloo, Ees
Ready to choose? Browse all 12 holiday parks in Drenthe or compare every region. For each park you can see which providers you can book with; Parkzie charges no booking fees.
