Veenpark, Historical peat village museum in Barger-Compascuum, Netherlands.
Veenpark is an open-air museum in Barger-Compascuum featuring reconstructed villages and moorlands with historical buildings throughout. Visitors can travel by small train, take boat trips, and walk through the sites at their own pace.
The museum preserves the last remaining peat extraction site in Drenthe, showing extraction methods from the 20th century. These sites record how the peat industry shaped and transformed the region.
Craftspeople throughout the park demonstrate traditional activities like peat cutting, baking, and wooden shoe making. These work practices take place in reconstructed houses and show how people lived and earned their living here long ago.
The site is large, so train rides and boats help you cover distances comfortably without too much walking. Sturdy shoes are wise, especially on the damp paths and moorland terrain.
The moorland here inspired Van Gogh during his time in Drenthe and shaped his artistic approach. Combined tickets with Van Gogh House let you trace connections between the landscapes he painted and his lived experience.
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