Camping de Veenborg

This is a lovely area for pottering around on bikes or on foot – routes start directly from the site, taking you to nearby lakes, nature reserves and villages. The Drentsche Aa National Park is about 15 minutes’ drive/45 minutes’ cycle away for more trails through forests, heathland and sand drifts, with some rare flowers and ancient dolmen to spot along the way. When it’s time to dip into city life, take the 15-minute drive/half-hour bus ride to Groningen to explore this arty, student-filled city. Here you can wander around the Old Town, take a cruise on the canals, climb the Martini Tower and admire the contemporary art in the Groninger Museum. There are, of course, lots of great places to eat and drink too. If you’ve got kids to entertain, take a look at places like the fairytale-themed Sprookjeshof Zuidlaren (15 minutes’ drive) and Drouwenerzand Attractiepark (half an hour), or perhaps take older ones to learn a bit of history at Kamp Westerbork (40 minutes). Hoogezand’s National Bus Museum is worth considering too.