A typical Drenthe esdorp, a protected village ensemble and traces of the Ice Ages give Vries several clearly identifiable themes. When choosing accommodation, it is helpful to consider whether you are more interested in the village’s appearance and architectural history, or in routes with archaeological and geological connections. Vries offers a range of starting points: the Brink, the Bonifatiuskerk, a cycling route through the Het Noordsche Veld archaeological reserve, and a walk past the Holtveen pingo ruin. This makes it possible to plan your stay around your interest in village history, church architecture or the history of the Earth.

Village ensemble at the Brink

Vries is a typical Drenthe esdorp. At the Brink, old Saxon farmhouses, trees and the old cobbled road form a protected village ensemble. The Brink can therefore be viewed as a cohesive streetscape, rather than reducing its historical character to a single building. Anyone who likes to connect village history with a specific streetscape can take note of the interplay between the farmhouses, trees and road. The ensemble takes centre stage at the Brink; the Bonifatiuskerk offers a different focus, directed at a single building.

The Bonifatiuskerk and its Romanesque tower

The Bonifatiuskerk is regarded as the oldest church in Drenthe, or as one of the oldest. Its richly decorated Romanesque tower was built in the mid-12th century. This places a broad historical classification of the church alongside a specific construction date for the tower. This part of the building offers a chance to consider its style, decoration and date together. For travellers interested in architectural history, the church thus provides a different focus from the village ensemble at the Brink: here, attention turns to a single building and its tower.

Cycling route and walk

The “Route Vries” cycling route offers a different way to explore the area. It starts at the Noord-Willemskanaal, passes through Vries to Zeijen, and runs through the Het Noordsche Veld archaeological reserve. This reserve is a Dutch Rijksmonument, meaning a national monument. The route therefore includes an archaeological site. The “Vries tot op de bodem” walk has a different focus and passes the Holtveen pingo ruin. This thematic difference is useful when choosing between the two routes: the cycling route focuses on the reserve, while the pingo ruin is a point of interest along the walk.

Landscape and geological history

Vries lies on the Rolderrug. The area covered by the “Vries tot op de bodem” walk is part of the UNESCO Global Geopark De Hondsrug. The Aardkundig Monument, a two-metre-high sand exposure, is also located near Vries. Its soil profile shows the effects of the last three Ice Ages on the soil. The profile therefore draws attention not to a building, but to geological changes in the ground. Together with the Holtveen pingo ruin, it offers visitors interested in the history of the Earth a distinct way to explore Vries and its landscape, alongside the historical points of interest at the Brink and the Bonifatiuskerk.

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