Ter Apel combines a monastery founded in 1464 with hiking trails, waterscapes and an annual medieval event. Plan your stay around whichever aspect interests you most: the monastery’s history and interactive exhibition, walks in the Kloosterbos, or trails alongside streams and through forests. Seasonal activities can also play a role in your plans if you want to include event dates or a boat trip.
Monastic Life, Exhibition and Remembrance
The monastery in Ter Apel was founded in 1464. The permanent exhibition “Het kloosterleven van de Kruisheren” features interactive exhibits: you can sit at the prior’s desk, lie down on a straw mattress, try out the speaking niche in the refectory and light a candle in the canons’ church. These activities offer a tangible way to explore monastic life.
Another way to explore the grounds is with the free augmented reality app from the Klooster Ter Apel Museum. Its route takes you around the monastery grounds to eight stops and takes about 40 minutes. The app also lets you explore the monastery’s vanished upper floor and the former water mill.
The beds in the herb garden are bordered by box hedges. Medicinal plants, culinary herbs and dye plants grow there. The war memorial offers another perspective on the site’s history: it commemorates all fellow citizens who lost their lives as a result of acts of war during the occupation years. The brick memorial column is two metres high, one metre wide and one metre deep.
Hiking Trails and Waterscapes
The routes offer different highlights. Route 26, “De Bosbeek Ter Apel,” is 12.5 kilometres long and follows the Bosbeek in Ter Apel. Near Ter Apel, the constructed Bosbeek connects the loop trail in Drenthe with the Ruiten Aa. The Ter Apel Walking Route, in turn, follows the Ruiten Aa through a winding, wet and colourful stream valley. Most of this route runs through forests dating back to the year 800.
On the Ter Apel Walking Route, you cross the Ruiten Aa Canal on a 22.4-metre-long hand-operated cable ferry. The landscape and waterways give this route a different character from the trail along the Bosbeek. Trail conditions may change; check them before setting out.
The Kanunnikenpad runs through the forests around Ter Apel Monastery in Westerwolde. Its name refers to the monastery’s former residents, the canons. On guided walks in the Kloosterbos, visitors discover the connection between the landscape and the lives of the Crosiers who once lived there. The walks also cover plants and animals, centuries-old customs and the area’s cultural history.
The Kanukjespad is 2.4 kilometres long and takes 60 to 90 minutes to walk. Families with children aged four to seven can follow the nature trail through the Kloosterbos when the museum is open. Along the way, children collect ingredients and use them to make “soup” in the monastery’s herb garden.
Events and Seasonal Planning
“Middeleeuws Ter Apel” is held every year. The programme includes a small archaeological excavation in which members of the public can take part. At the market, visitors can see, sample and buy medieval products and drinks, including medieval beer. The offerings may vary from one edition to the next. Check the dates for the relevant edition during your travel period.
Ter Apel is on the Veendam–Stadskanaal–Ter Apel waterway. During the boating season, from 1 May to 1 October, its bridges and locks are operated from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Seasonal operating hours may change; check them before your trip.
The Ter Apel Tourist Information Point is located in the former storehouse next to the museum. It offers a presentation about Ter Apel and Westerwolde, as well as free brochures and maps.
Discover more destinations: Bourtange, Vlagtwedde, Ter Apelkanaal, Sellingen.
Back to the main travel overview: Vlagtwedde.
