Europarcs Ruinen

Even if you don’t need to visit the village of Ruinen for amenities, it’s worth dropping in to explore its unusual layout – because of the way the place grew, it ended up with a field of cows and sheep right in the very centre. Try to time your visit with one of the market days to sample some top-notch local produce. Several other villages and towns are worth visiting nearby too – perhaps the wooden houses and windmills of Meppel (20 minutes’ drive) or Giethoorn (half an hour) for a canal cruise or self-powered boat trip. Havelte (15 minutes) and Diever (20 minutes) are interesting places with dolmen to see as well. If you’ve got kids to entertain, there’s a handy local place at Vogelpark Ruinen (five minutes), and more options at Slagharen theme park (half an hour) and Wildlands Adventure Zoo (35 minutes). You might also try the treetop adventures of Klimbos Appelscha (half an hour) or a sobering look back to the past at Kamp Westerbork prisoner of war camp (25 minutes).