Hoogeveen

Hoogeveen is a city of about 56,000 people in south-central Drenthe, founded in 1636 by two investors from Leiden who saw opportunity in the region's peat fields. The settlement grew around a crossroads called Het Kruis (the Cross), quickly attracting shopkeepers, peat workers, and traders. Today, Hoogeveen serves as an excellent base for exploring the wider province, with great cycling and walking routes like the Oude Diep walking route and the Rosenboom cycling route.

The city has a storied World War II history, hosting a strong resistance movement. In June 1943, resistance members assassinated the National Socialist mayor of nearby Schoonenbeek, prompting German reprisals that killed 25–30 resistance members. Less than a year later, the local resistance staged a daring post-office heist, stealing some 13,000 food-ration stamps. Post-war, companies like Philips, Standard Electric, and Fokker established facilities here, and the Dutch caravan manufacturer Kip called Hoogeveen home.

By Plane

Groningen Airport Eelde (GRQ IATA) is about 40 minutes' drive north. Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS IATA) is about 1.5 hours by train via Zwolle.

By Train

Hoogeveen railway station is on the Zwolle–Groningen intercity line, with both Intercity and Sprinter services calling at half-hourly intervals. The Intercity connects south to Zwolle, Amersfoort, and Amsterdam, and north to Groningen.

By Car / Road

Hoogeveen sits at the intersection of three major roads: the A28 (Utrecht–Groningen), the A37 (heading east toward Germany), and the N48 (south toward Ommen and Twente). This makes it one of the best-connected towns in Drenthe by car. The A28 connects south to Meppel and Zwolle (about 30 min), while the A37 reaches the German border near Meppen in about 25 minutes.

The compact city centre is walkable. For wider exploration, cycling is ideal — Hoogeveen has good bike routes through the surrounding peat-meadow landscape. Local buses connect to outlying villages.

• De Verhalenwerf (Museum De 5000 Morgen) — Culture-historical museum of Hoogeveen, named after the first peat-winning company in the region.

• Het Kruis — The historic crossroads area with the oldest houses in town, including the "Huis met de Duivengaten" (now a restaurant) and the former drugstore from 1703 (now a leather boutique) with its original plaque reading "So Godt voor ons is Wie sal tegen ons syn."

• Olde Schippershuus — One of the oldest buildings in Hoogeveen, built around 1640 as the "Tiendenhuis" (tithe house), later a skippers' café.

• De Cascade — The longest artwork in Europe, running along the main street.

• Grote Kerk (Grote Kerkstraat) — Construction started in 1651, largely completed by 1664.

• Vincent van Gogh House — Where Van Gogh stayed for a few weeks in 1883.

• Synagogue (Schutstraat) — Now a Baptist church, De Schutse.

• De Zwaluw corn mill (van Echtenstraat) — A historic windmill.

• Jewish cemeteries — At van Echtenstraat (founded 1725) and Zuiderweg (founded 1829).

• Skydive Hoogeveen (Plesmanstraat 14, +31 683 170 163) — Tandem skydiving and lessons.

• Escaperoom The Basement (De Vos van Steenwijklaan 75, +31 528 52 21 33) — A challenging escape room experience.

• Essent Chess Tournament — An annual international chess event.

• Tour of Drenthe — A professional cycling race passing through the region.

• Hoogeveense Cascaderun — An annual running event along De Cascade.

• Degust — Specializing in seafood.
• Several restaurants along the Hoofdstraat offer Dutch and international cuisine.

Hoogeveen has several cafés and bars concentrated around the town centre, particularly in the area around Het Kruis.

• b&b de binnenhorst — A bed and breakfast option in the town centre.
• Additional hotels and guesthouses are available, though Hoogeveen is best used as a base for day trips.

Weekly markets are held in the town centre on Thursday (08:00–13:30) and Saturday (08:30–17:00), offering fresh fruit, vegetables, fish, cheese, meat, and flowers. The city centre has a range of chain stores and local shops.

• Dwingelderveld National Park (15 min by car) — The largest wet heathland in Western Europe, with excellent walking and cycling trails.
• Meppel (15 min by train/car) — Charming canal city with the Drukkerijmuseum and historic limekilns.
• Assen (20 min by train) — Drenthe's capital with the Drents Museum and TT Circuit.
• Coevorden (25 min by car) — Historic fortified town with a castle and open-air museum.
• Zwolle (30 min by train) — Historic Hanseatic city in neighbouring Overijssel.