Drenthe is the perfect destination for a gravel ride. This province has vast countryside, rolling moorlands and endless forests. Away from asphalt and beaten tracks. Here you can easily opt for gravel and sand under the tyres. And if you are looking for the ultimate gravel ride, you cannot go past National Park De Drentsche Aa and the surrounding villages and forestries. The pre-fun starts well in advance by plotting the ideal route. This can be done, for example, via the platform Strava. This app immediately shows how many kilometres of unpaved road you can expect. I choose a hefty trip of about 100 kilometres, of which more than 50% is unpaved.
It is windless and misty when I get on my bike. A shame about the view on the one hand, but on the other, it creates a mystical and photogenic atmosphere. Literally from the park you cycle through the adjacent five-star nature reserve De Zeegser Duinen. Occasionally, the sun peeks through the fog layer, producing beautiful light. Wide sandy paths alternate with narrow tracks and within fifteen minutes I reach the north side of the Balloërveld. An area of no less than 360 hectares where sheep graze and heather blooms. Usually a popular spot for cyclists and walkers, but now there is no one there. I stop in the middle of the heath to take in the silence. I really don't hear anything at all. Absolute silence. Where else do you find this in the Netherlands!
I cycle on towards Forestry Grolloo. A beautiful area with coniferous and deciduous forests, fens and streams, of which the Hunze is the most important. It produces a varied landscape through which I cycle whistling. Still that impressive silence, occasionally broken by the ticking of a Woodpecker or the screech of a Goshawk. The scenery here is truly breathtaking and you have the feeling that time stands still in this piece of primal nature.50% onverharde ondergrond.
