excursions

Cycling in search of the Ice Ages

The Hondsrug region is a great place to visit for a day’s cycling. This group safari will take you to amazing places on the Hondsrug where the landscape still bears traces of the Ice Age.

The tour

The 17 kilometre cycle trail begins at the Hunebedcentrum in Borger, home to the Hondsrug UNESCO Global Geopark’s Expedition Gateway to the Ice Ages. Your guide will first show you the exhibition and then cycle with you along the whole trail, stopping at places of interest and telling you the story of the ice ages.

The first stop is in the village of Ees by a feature known as a ‘glacial kettle’ (Gletsjerkuil). Just imagine, during the last Ice Age a mountain of ice many metres high stood here …

Cycling through the woods around Exloo you will see deeply eroded valleys lying along the flanks of the Hondsrug. After the last Ice Age, as summers became warmer, the snow melted and the surface of the ground began to thaw. The meltwater washed away vast quantities of mud and as that process was repeated, year in and year out, it created these wide valleys.

The next stop is at the Poolshoogte tea house near Odoorn. Here you can climb to the top of the high observation tower for a magnificent view over the tops of the trees across the woodlands of the Hondsrug region. In the Teahouse you can enjoy an excellent lunch.

The last stretch of this cycle safari brings you back to Borger. If you’re not too tired, it’s worth spending time here to look around the Hunebed Centre.


Programme
10:00 Start at the Hunebedcentrum in Borger with coffee and tea
(Hunebedstraat 27, 9531 JV Borger)
10:15 visit the Expedition Gateway to the Ice Ages and Prehistory
10.45 start your cycle safari
11:45 lunch at the Poolshoogte Teahouse
14:00 end of the excursion
Optional visit to the Hunebed Centre

The cost of the group excursion /safari is € 45,00 p.p. incl. cycle hire and lunch. To reserve your place (s) send an e-mail to info@geoparkdehondsrug.nl  giving your preferred date and the number of people. Please book at least three weeks in advance. After booking you will receive confirmation and an invoice.

• The group safari is designed for (among others) companies, schools and clubs
• The entire safari is led by a guide
• The maximum number of people per guide is twenty
• The safari lasts about four hours
• The safari can be booked throughout the year