The National Park Dwingelderveld is located in the province of Drenthe in the north-eastern part of the Netherlands. The National Park is 3700 ha large, with 1500 ha of wet heath land, which makes it the largest wet heath land in western Europe. The heath is for a large part surrounded by various woods and sand dispersions. The varied scenery accommodates a large amount of animals and plants in the area. Dutch National Park Dwingelderveld lies amidst a characteristic regional landscape of esdorpen (see Nationaal Park Drents-Friese Wold). The park area consists of the heath of Dwingeloo, the heath of Kralo, the Anser pines and the well-known forestry of Dwingeloo, totalling some 3,500 hectare. Most significant land owners are Staatsbosbeheer (State Wood Maintenance) and Natuurmonumenten (Nature Monuments, officially: The Association for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands). The distinctive quality of this National Park is the variety in geology. The many different soil types have caused a mosaic of plants, flowers and trees, which not only attracts visitors but also offers a welcoming habitat to a lot of rare vegetations and animals. Nowhere in the country the heath is as unspoiled as here, while the Dwingelderveld is the largest wet heath terrain in Europe. The State Secretary of Agriculture, Nature Management and Fisheries chose the Dwingelderveld to be National Park in 1991. Its exact location is in the south west of the Dutch province Drenthe, in the triangle formed by the towns of Beilen, Hoogeveen and Dwingeloo. Next to the park also lie the villages Ruinen, Lhee, Spier and Pesse. As noted above, most important part of the National Park is the heath. Originally it came into existence when the woods were harvested over the centuries, starting already around 2000 BC. On the open space with hardly nutritious soil, heath established itself.
In the last century the heath reached its largest territory. The landscape was desolated, with a tree here and there, or a treacherous pool. Within the traditional farms, the heath obtained an important role. Heath was the grazing land for the sheep and oxen, but it also functioned as construction material and as base material for brooms, brushes and honey. The sheep manure was used to fertilize the farmlands. The invention of artificial fertilizer and the growing cultivation of nature land caused the heath to nearly extinguish as the 20th century passed by. Some people noticed this and grouped in Nature Monuments, buying heath lands from 1929 onwards. The heath section of Dwingelderveld is also in their ownership.mAnother significant part of Nationaal Park Dwingelderveld is the forest in the north east of the area. Because of the innutritious character of the soil, only pine trees grow here, such as the Scots Pine, the Larch, the Douglas and the Norway Spruce. An exceptionally beautiful nature area is thJeneverbesstruweel ('Juniper berry brushwood') in the Lheebroekerzand shifting sands section. A large part of maintenance is done by sheep. Three herds of sheep take care of the heath in the National Park, although grazing alone is not enough. Two of the flocks have their own shepherd, an otherwise almost extinct profession in the Netherlands. The National Park has the lawful status of Silence Area. This means the sound level in the entire park is not allowed above 40 DBA.
The wet heath in this national park has a distinctive character, particularly between June and September when the heather blooms pink and purple. You will find lakes and pools in the lower-lying plains, which are extremely important for the plants and animals that live here. Take a look around the Davidsplassen lakes or the Drostenveen and you will discover many species of unusual animals. Sheep used to graze on the heath in the past, sometimes in herds of more than 8,000! This intensive grazing resulted in bare areas, which then became drifting sand. An example of this is the Lheebroekzand. It can get pretty rough here when the wind crops up! Do you want to avoid scaring the birds? A bird-watching cabin is located near the Davidsplassen. Take along your binoculars and quietly wait until you see a pintail or black-necked grebe fly by. The heath is maintained by grazing sheep. In the evening, two shepherds bring the herds back to a sheep pen on the Benderse and another one in Achter 't Zaand. A sight you certainly shouldn’t miss! Would you like to know more about the nature found in Dwingelderveld National Park? Take a look around the Visitor's Center. You will learn all about the plants and animals and about the history of the area. Particularly interesting are the butterfly and herbgarden and the bee shed. When approaching the Visitor's Center, make sure you take a look at the roof. This covered roof blooms in springtime, and turns red from the succulents in the fall.
