Staycation in the Netherlands: regal paddleboarding at Oranjewoud in the summer holidays

For a sun holiday you can sometimes simply stay in the Netherlands. Here it is thirty degrees or more every day at the moment. A tip for your staycation: regal paddleboarding at Oranjewoud, near Heerenveen.

A long heatwave

We are touching tropical temperatures at the moment. And that looks set to last. Ideal conditions for getting out on the water. On a paddleboard, for instance.

In which case exploring Oranjewoud is an idea.

Paddleboarding at Oranjewoud: the grand canal with royal allure

• 1676. Albertine Agnes of Orange is fond of wealth and splendour¹. East of Heerenveen she builds the country estate and residence of Oranjewoud.

In baroque style the estate consists of extensive woods, long avenues and glorious gardens. A meadow here and there.

Daughter-in-law Henriëtte Amalia of Anhalt-Dessau brings in Daniël Marot². This leading French architect is to give the area still more royal allure. Marot designs the grand canal. This long stretch of water forms the landscaped heart of the princes' quarter.

A grand canal provides a stately sightline from the middle of the country house. Through such a sightline you experience the grandeur of the estate.

• 2004. Across the extended stretch of water a long modern museum is built.

The relief in the black facades hints at the parcelled meadow landscape. Above the water, in the middle section of the museum, the facades are almost entirely glass. That way the historic sightline stays intact. From the other side you can look right through the museum and see Oranjewoud house in the distance. Past the museum the grand canal opens out into a wider stretch of water.

• 2020. Summer holidays, a heatwave and off you paddle.

By the car park at the museum there are lowered quays. From there it is easy to step onto your board. Paddle a lap of the wider stretch of water first and then enter the grand canal. Go under the museum. That is best done on your knees, or even lying down. Then you paddle towards Oranjewoud house. Here you can paddle a circuit around the estate, going left.

A picnic break while paddling

Tip: bring something nice in a waterproof bag. Halfway along the grand canal there is a ‘branch’. After passing four little bridges you have open fields on your right, with the woods behind them. At certain spots it is easy to pull in. Enjoy a pleasant picnic in the field and then paddle back towards the museum.

Paddling from Museum Belvédère to the Tjonger

At Oranjestein, the former retirement house, you also have the option of carrying straight on towards the Tjonger. The Tjonger is part of the Turfroute, a tourist boating route.

Admiring the sunset from the water

The finest spots are the ones where you can watch the sun go down properly. The wider stretch of water past the museum is one of them. Drifting on the water you see the sun take leave of the day. With a bit of luck the sky takes on a striking colour. From Oranjewoud to evening red. A fine close to a day on royal water.

¹ Van Ditzhuyzen, R. (2016, June). Het Huis van Oranje(-Nassau) en Duitsland. Deel 9: Albertina Agnes van Oranje, gravin van Nassau en Willem Frederik graaf van Nassau-Dietz.
² Staatsbosbeheer. Over Oranjewoud. A short history.