Culture

A unique history of poverty reduction in the Netherlands and Flanders. Be amazed by these extraordinary landscapes with a powerful and unusual story. 200 years ago, in 1818, Johannes van den Bosch founded the Society of Benevolence. Poor families, beggars and vagabonds can go and work in one of the Colonies of Benevolence. They get their own house and a piece of land to work on. A hard existence. Through labor and schooling, the Settlers are disciplined so that they can become self-sufficient over time. The largest surface area of ​​the Colonies of Benevolence is located in Drenthe, in Veenhuizen, Fredriksoord and Wilhelminaoord. The special story and the unique landscape that resulted from it led to the UNESCO World Heritage status.

Have you ever been pilloried? Seen a cell from the inside? Sit in the judge's chair? It's all possible in the Prison Museum. Crime and punishment have always existed, but the way we punish has changed a lot over the centuries. Here you will discover everything about crime and punishment in the Netherlands from 1600 until now. The museum is located in one of the old penal institutions that were built in 1823 by the Society of Benevolence in Veenhuizen for beggars and vagrants. Veenhuizen is a special village with a wonderful history, more than a hundred national monuments and five prisons that are still in use.

Cheeselust
Kaaslust is an artisanal cheese factory, located in the restored dairy factory of Veenhuizen. A former colony of the Society of Benevolence, nominated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Come and experience it for yourself.

Maallust
For a long time, the prison village of Veenhuizen was a self-sufficient village. In addition to the prisons, there were also schools, churches, a spinning mill and farms. The agricultural products from the area were processed in the industrial complex. The Maallust brewery is now located in what was once the grain mill. The copper boilers are located under the old roof trusses and the remains of the drying machines. Since 2011, they have been brewing their delicious beer in this traditional way. Hotel Assen also has beers from Maallust on its menu!

Coffee lust
Coffee from the Colonial of Benevolence Veenhuizen

The Hunebedcentrum is an archaeological museum in the Drenthe village of Borger, a stone's throw from the largest hunebed in the Netherlands. The museum has a museum shop, a museum café and a knowledge center. On the site of the Hunebedcentrum is a reconstruction of a Stone Age house with the accompanying primeval garden, the boulder garden and a grain spiker. The Hunebedcentrum tells the story about the hunebeds and the hunebed builders in permanent and temporary exhibitions.

A trip back in time? That is possible at Museum Railway STAR! Board the steam train and enjoy a journey through the peat colonies. Hear the locomotive hiss and smell the smell of steam. In the summer months, Museum Railway STAR runs an extensive timetable with historic steam and diesel trains between Stadskanaal and Veendam and between Stadskanaal and Nieuw-Buinen. Visit our museum in Stadskanaal during driving days and step into the world of railways. There is also plenty to do in spring and autumn. An experience for young and old!