My friend and I are starting our Europe backpacking trip in the Netherlands because her grandparents grew up there. Her grandfather lived in Assen, so we wanted to experience his hometown. Has anyone been to Assen or the surrounding area? It is in the province of Drenthe, supposedly a great area for cycling. Does anyone have recommendations for renting bikes? We are not sure if we should stay in Assen or day trip there, as I haven't seen much online for 'things to do' in Assen. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Posted by
IJzendijke, The Netherlands
1966 posts
Drenthe is well-known for it´s charming countryside with enough possibilities and an excellent infrastructure for cycling. Renting a decent bike shouldn’t be a problem. You can visit also other provinces like Friesland, Groningen, Overijssel and others. You can take bikes with you on the train, but there are rules for how and when.
Posted by
Roseville, California, USA
27 posts
I have fond memories of Assen because I was an AFS exchange student there in 1965. In May we are going back for my husband to meet my Dutch family. Nearby is The Westerbork transit camp (Dutch: Kamp Westerbork, German: Durchgangslager Westerbork). It was a World War II Nazi refugee, detention and transit camp in Hooghalen, ten kilometres (6.2 miles) north of Westerbork, in the northeastern Netherlands. Its function during the Second World War was to assemble Romani and Dutch Jews for transport to other Nazi concentration camps. The museum is well done...Anne Frank was transported through here.