Last Sunday we set out for not just one, but two walks. First, we wanted to see the purple heather, and the Balloërveld near Assen is in full bloom right now. It’s a short drive and the area is large so there’s a lot of heather to be seen there.
It quickly became clear we weren’t the only ones with that idea: the parking area was full of cars and bikes, and along our short hike we were passed by plenty of cyclists and fellow walkers.
The heather fields are wide and vibrant in colour, making this a particularly good moment to visit. Still, we also wanted to enjoy some forest scenery, so after a short loop we headed back to the car and set off for our next stop.
A little further south we reached the Dwingelderveld. From a parking spot near a hotel, several trails start out into the area. Again, the lot was busy with cars, but since the reserve is so large and has many routes to choose from, you hardly notice the crowds once you’re walking.
It turned into a lovely walk, though our route was a bit short — so we decided to do it twice 🙂 That also gave me another chance to try and photograph a woodpecker Monica spotted on our first round. I did see it when she pointed it out, but by the time I raised my camera it had already flown away.
I’m always amazed at how peaceful and quiet a forest can feel, even with a highway so close by. We promised ourselves to plan more hikes like this. There’s no shortage of beautiful forests to explore, both nearby and a little further afield.
A full set of the photos can be seen here:
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