Aa en Hunze

Netherlands

Aa en Hunze is a municipality in the north of the province of Drenthe, in the Netherlands. The name of the municipality refers to two small rivers, Drentsche Aa and Hunze. There are 35 villages in the municipality, which has a total population of about 25,000. The largest villages include Gieten, Annen, and Rolde.

The landscape of the region is characterised by the Hondsrug sand ridge in the western part, and peatlands in the eastern half. The western part of the municipality has a long history, with many old so-called brinkdorpen (villages centred around a village green) and a landscape similar to neighbouring Tynaarlo as well as Noordenveld. The settlement history of the eastern part of the municipality is much more recent. Starting in the 16th and 17th centuries, the peatlands of eastern Groningen and northern Drenthe were exploited. The landscape and history in this area is therefore similar to that of the Peat District of Groningen.

Tourist Information Point Rolde, Grote Brink 22a, Rolde, +31 592 241 502. Mon-Fri 10:00-16:00, Sat 10:00-15:00.

Dolmen site 'D18' near Rolde There are 12 dolmen sites (megalithic tombs) in the municipality of Aa en Hunze.

Two villages in Aa en Hunze are starting point of a stage of the Pieterpad, the most famous long distance walking route of the Netherlands. The route's fourth stage ends in Rolde. The fifth stage runs almost entirely within Aa en Hunze, from Rolde to Schoonloo, and the sixth stage starts in Schoonloo.

Restaurant 't Moatie, Kerkstraat 2C, Gasselte, +31 599 564 746. Wed-Sun 10:30-20:00. Traditional Dutch pancakes.

De Liefde van de Drentsche Aa, Ruiterweg 2, Schipborg, +31 50 409 1672. Tue-Thu 10:00-21:00, Fri-Sun 10:00-22:00.

  • Westerbork — nearby village mostly known for the large World War II transport camp, now a war memorial centre
  • Veenkoloniën — the 'peat district' just across the provincial border in Groningen
  • Noordenveld and Tynaarlo — two other municipalities in northern Drenthe, known for their old villages