De Hobbitstee
De Hobbitstee is a communal settlement founded in 1969 located in Wapserveen, home to around 20 residents living and working together on about 4 hectares of land. The site includes dwellings, vegetable gardens, small workshops, and green spaces where residents grow food, make goods by hand, and share repair work and skills without relying on money.
The community was founded in 1969 as a response to the desire for life beyond materialism and money dependency, making it one of the oldest settlements of its kind in the Netherlands. Its residents have maintained their original goals of self-sufficiency and environmental care for over 50 years.
The name comes from Tolkien's Hobbits, who chose simple living over wealth, and the residents here embrace that same philosophy of modesty and connection to nature. Daily life centers on shared work, homemade goods, and the belief that community and environmental care matter more than money or possessions.
Understand that this is a private residential community, not a tourist destination like a museum or attraction, so visits require prior arrangement and respect for residents' space. Contact through email or their social media is possible, but expect slow responses as residents prioritize their daily work and communal commitments.
Residents actively monitor wildlife using cameras to observe insects, frogs, and dragonflies, as every living creature on the land is protected and allowed to flourish without disturbance. This scientific approach to nature is a surprising contrast to their otherwise hands-on, earth-based way of living.
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