Aan Het Diepje

This centrally located park is in a top spot for day trips around Drenthe, Friesland and the Frisian Islands (boats leave about an hour’s drive away), but there's also plenty to keep you occupied close by. Start off with birdwatching at De Lettelberterpetten observation hut, a haven for twitchers 10 minutes away, or dawdle to De Onlanden (25 minutes) and climb up to its manmade lookout point for sweeping views over the treetops. Urban times are to be had in Groningen (20 minutes), which has classic Dutch architecture to admire, including the Grote Markt square’s age-old Martinitoren clock tower and the gothic Martinikerk church with its frescoes and baroque organ. For modern ways to spend your time, the cutting-edge contemporary art of the Groninger Museum is worth a punt, as is the Northern Maritime Museum to learn about the region’s shipbuilding and shipping past.