To Siberia (and back again)

Directions

• Hoogeveen was founded in 1625, when Roelof van Echten bought a large swathe of peatland in the kerspel (church community) of Zuidwolde. Roelof van Echten was a member of one of the oldest noble families of Drenthe and lived in Huis te Echten. For the exploitation of this area, van Echten founded the Compagnie van 5000 Morgen (5000 morgen is approximately equivalent to 6000 hectares) and had a canal dug with side channels. At the intersection of this canal and the first residential district, now known as the Hoofdstraat, a village arose. Hoogeveen grew into the largest peat producer in the Netherlands. One of the most famous buildings in Hoogeveen is the Reformed Church, which dates from 1652 and is partly known for the statue of the Drummer. Roelof van Echten opened his private chapel to local residents for Sunday service, and had a drummer go round the town to notify the people.
• The trail starts at Hoogeveen train station. Near the station, a war monument marks the spot where a plane crashed, killing the pilot, in 1943.
• You leave Hoogeveen through the hamlet of Stadterij, which owes its name to the Stadt family, which once lived here.
• Continue your walk through the town of Stuifzand. As its name indicates, this area was covered by sand long before the current village arose here. The first sand reclamations took place in the 18th century, with the first inhabitants settling here from about 1850. You will also pass JUSTA Organic Cheese Farm, which takes its name from the ancient Germanic word for cheese.
• As you continue onwards, you will approach the hamlet of Zwartschaap, with a small wooden church called Bethel, or House of God, at Zwartschaap 11.
• A little later, you will enter Siberië, a region that surrounds a road of the same name and is flanked by several farms. According to tradition, these farms were so remote and deserted that they reminded people of Napoleon’s harsh experiences during his invasion of Russia. On old maps, however, no mention is found of the region.
• Along the road, you will find Kremboong, a remnant of the forest built around 1900 for the production of wood. In 1938, most of this forest was cut down to make way for agriculture. The remaining part is now known for its many mushrooms and dense undergrowth of redcurrants and blueberries. Its name was given by the first owner, Frederik’s Jacob, who named the forest after his sugar cane plantation Kremboong (bamboo sprout) in Surabaya on the Indonesian island of Java.
• The trail continues to Tiendeveen, an expansive peat village built around the intersection of two waterways: the Linthorst Homankanaal and the Drijberse Hoofdvaart. Peat excavation began here in 1830, which is also when the first inhabitants settled. After all the peat had been excavated, forests were planted on the land, of which some remnants, such as Kremboong, remain. The current village of Tiendeveen dates back to about 1926.
• After passing through Tiendeveen, you continue your way along Siberië back to Hoogeveen. When you reach the hamlet of Stadterij again, you will retrace your steps as you walk back to the train station. This is the end of ‘To Siberia (and back again). Sit back and relax in one of the many great local cafés or restaurants and look back at this beautiful hike.