Veenland Bargerveen is located in the farthest corner of Drenthe, on the border with Germany. This area is one of the largest raised bogs in the Netherlands. The raised bog was excavated in previous centuries to extract peat. At the time, they also called the peat the “brown gold”. When coal was mined in the 20th century, peat extraction declined. This extreme corner in Drenthe – the Bargerveen – has therefore been preserved.

For nature lovers, this is the perfect place and an absolute must-see. In this preserved piece of Veenland you will find all kinds of nature and many different kinds of animals and plants. You will also find a watchtower right on the border with Germany. From this tower you can enjoy the beautiful view and you might spot one of the many animals that live there!

In this blog we give you tips about walking in Bargerveen (including a walking route in Bargerveen) and the options for cycling routes in Bargerveen!

Tips for your visit

Bicycle route Bargerveen

Are you looking for a cycling route in Bargerveen? Then you probably need the bikes too! You could rent these at bicycle shops in Weiteveen or Zwartemeer. You could also rent E-choppers in Weiteveen to drive through the nature reserve. Many cycling opportunities have been created in the nature reserve so that you can explore them at a fast pace without affecting nature.

In the area there are no fewer than 28 cycling nodes that you can follow. Take, for example, junction 65 Barger-Compascuum. Your starting point for this cycling route Bargerveen is the Veenpark. You will come across nostalgic villages on this route with a baker, clog maker, peat cutter and grocer.

Walking route Bargerveen

Walking in Bargerveen is highly recommended. For example, you can start with the Sheepfold. It is the largest sheepfold in the Netherlands for natural grazing! In addition, it also features a very innovative design. Solar panels and a peat roof have been placed on top of the roof. The solar panels provide the required energy and the peat roof ensures that it remains nice and cool in the summer. So completely green!

On the route you will also encounter many Schoonebeek heath sheep. The Schoonebeek sheep are a rare Dutch breed of sheep and therefore extra fun to spot during your Bargerveen walking route.

Then walk one of the many walking routes in Bargerveen by following the signs and end up at restaurant de Wollegras. The restaurant is named after a plant that grows a lot in the Bargerveen. The wool grass is also called peat fluff. Restaurant Wollegras is open from Monday to Wednesday from 10 am to 6 pm and from Thursday to Sunday from 10 am to 8 pm. Here you can enjoy a cup of coffee, salads, soup or sandwiches. You can also go here for dinner. Daniek and her team provide dishes prepared with quality local ingredients. You can take a seat on the terrace to enjoy the beautiful view one more time.

In addition to the landscaped paths, there are also several forest trails that you can walk on. This way you have a place around the entire Veenland where you can start walking. Take a different walking route in Bargerveen every time and be surprised by the different types of nature you will encounter in the area!

Is Bargerveen already on your list? Book your stay to spend the night in Drenthe right away!

The post A visit to Bargerveen | The most beautiful routes appeared first on Sustainaway.

The last week of December 2021 has arrived. During New Year’s Eve many oliebollen are baked. Are you going to bake oliebollen yourself this year? Then make vegan oliebollen! These are not only very tasty and easy to prepare, but also better for the environment. The preparation of the vegan oliebollen takes 30/45 minutes. After that, this delicacy has to rise for about an hour. Lots of fun!

History

Every year around New Year’s Eve, oliebollen are eaten en masse throughout the country. Oliebollen are a typical delicacy for the winter. The reason for this is that oliebollen are potent, served warm and high in calories. During the winter period there used to be scarcity and cold.

Where did the idea of this delicacy come from? In the late Middle Ages, the poor used to visit other people to wish them a happy new year. In return they received a kind of treat, namely the oil cake. This oil cake did not yet have the round shape as we know it. These cakes were flat in the Middle Ages. Over the years, this has developed into the oliebol. How do you make the tastiest vegan oliebollen? We have the tastiest recipe for vegan oliebollen for you!

Ingredients

• 100 to 150 grams of raisins
• 250 ml lukewarm water
• 500 ml almond drink natural (or 500 ml soy milk)
• 14 grams dried yeast
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar or coconut blossom sugar
• 500 grams wheat flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 liters of peanut oil
• Powdered sugar

Preparation method: How do you make the vegan oliebollen?

Preparation time: 30/45 min. (+1 hour to let the batter rise)

To make vegan oliebollen, first place the raisins in a bowl. Pour the lukewarm water over this. You can drain these when the water has cooled down. Meanwhile, you can mix the sifted flour, dried yeast, sugar and salt. Then make a well and pour in the almond drink or soy milk. Mix it all to a smooth batter. Finally add the raisins and mix well again. Dampen a tea towel with warm water and cover the mix. Then put it in a warm place and wait at least an hour for the dough to rise.

Then heat the oil in a pan (180 degrees) or deep fryer. Make balls with 2 spoons or an ice cream scoop and bake for about 8 minutes until golden brown. Once ready, you can remove the vegan oliebollen and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Lets eat!

Do you want to store your vegan oliebollen? Let them cool down first and then store them airtight. You can keep the oliebollen in the fridge for about two days. Do you want to keep this vegan delicacy longer? It is also possible to freeze them. Let the vegan oliebollen cool down again and put them in the freezer. We recommend that you take the oliebol out of the freezer within three months!

We look forward to seeing your creations! Tag us on Instagram @yoursustainaway or Facebook @sustainaway

The post Vegan oliebollen | The best recipe to make at home! appeared first on Sustainaway.

Are you bored in the winter? Then go and photograph frozen soap bubbles! We often see people blowing bubbles in the summer while this can be even more fun in the winter! In winter, the bubbles can freeze, causing small ice crystals to form in the bubbles. These give a beautiful effect so that you can make the most beautiful creations with them. With this activity it remains fun to go outside in the winter. In this blog you can read the best tips for photographing frozen soap bubbles.

Necessities

• washing up liquid
• Water
• Optional: glycerin (for a firmer bell)
• Bubble blower/straw (or something else to blow bubbles with)
• Camera (or phone)

Photographing frozen soap bubbles: how do you do that?

Do you want to photograph frozen soap bubbles, but you don’t know how? Below we explain exactly how to do it!

First of all, you start by making a mix. You can do this very easily by mixing 1 part dish soap and 3 to 4 parts warm water in a bowl. This should already be able to make frozen soap bubbles. If you’d like to make some firmer bubbles, you could add glycerin to the mix. When the mix is ready, you can go outside to blow your bubbles. Note that it must be freezing outside because otherwise the bubbles cannot freeze. For example, get out of bed early, this is the coldest time of the day. At this time it is also perfect to play with the sunrise!

To photograph frozen soap bubbles, it is important that you are in a sheltered spot. The wind can cause the bell to break quickly. It is also important that you blow the bubble on a cold surface such as snow, a cold pole or branch. The warm water causes the bubble to freeze faster. So have your camera ready! You can take the photos with your phone, but if you would like a high-quality photo, you can also use an SLR camera, for example. All ready? Then blow the first bubbles and experiment with the light and location. You may not be able to blow the bubbles or photograph the bubbles in one go, but practice makes perfect!

Other tips / Mpemba effect

Another fun activity you can try in the winter is playing with the Mpemba effect . This name refers to the phenomenon whereby warmer water freezes faster than colder water under some conditions. You can do fun experiments with this! If it freezes well, take a glass of hot water or use your sustainable water bottle and throw the contents into the air outside. The water should freeze almost immediately, which gives a beautiful effect in photos! Make sure that you don’t get it in the air and then it falls on you. It won’t work if it’s not cold enough. And wet clothes in the winter is of course not very nice..

We look forward to seeing your creations. Tag us on instagram at @yoursustainaway so we can share your photo!

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