Minicamping Aelderveen

First stop for the kids? They’ll jump at the chance of a day at Kuierpad swimming lake (15 minutes’ drive), where paddleboards and kayak can be hired to explore the shoreline. There’s also an outdoor pool in Zweeloo (five minutes) with an inflatable climbing course for youngsters. Golfers can hone their handicap on the greens and fairways of the local club (10 minutes’ walk). Non-golfer? Jump on your bike to explore the peat bogs, heathland and ancient forests of Drenthe, or head for the historic village of Sleen (20 minutes by bike) to check out its decoratively designed red-brick houses and church with a soaring grey slate spire. Learn how the people of Drenthe lived in times past at the Ellert en Brammert open-air museum (15 minutes’ drive), where farm buildings, schools, cottages – including one with a roof made of turf – and manor houses have been painstakingly reconstructed. Step even further back in time at Hunebedcentrum (25 minutes), a heritage museum featuring detailed dioramas of neolithic settlements – it’s also home to one of the biggest dolmens in The Netherlands.