Drents Museum

The Drents Museum is the main museum of the province of Drenthe, set in the centre of the provincial capital, Assen. It was founded in the middle of the nineteenth century, and over the decades it grew from a small collection of antiquities into one of the leading regional museums in the country. Old buildings from different periods have been joined to a modern extension, and the contrast between the historic rooms and the contemporary wing gives the museum much of its character.

Archaeology is its great strength, and Drenthe is a remarkable place for it. The sandy soil and peat bogs of the province have preserved objects and even bodies from prehistory in extraordinary condition. The museum's best-known object is the Yde Girl, the body of a teenager who died in the Iron Age, about two thousand years ago, and was found in a peat bog in the late nineteenth century. Her hair, her skin and the cord around her neck survive, and a reconstruction of her face gives a haunting sense of the person. Another treasure is the Canoe of Pesse, a dugout boat roughly ten thousand years old, thought to be one of the oldest boats in the world.

The archaeology section also explains the hunebedden, the megalithic tombs for which Drenthe is famous, and shows pottery, tools and ornaments from the long span of prehistory. Beyond archaeology, the museum has collections of art, including paintings of the region by Dutch artists and works from the early twentieth century, as well as decorative arts, silver and objects illustrating daily life in the province. Temporary exhibitions, often of international scope, are a major attraction, and the museum has gained a reputation for exhibitions that draw visitors from across the country and abroad.

The museum's layout encourages exploration of both old and new parts, with displays that use multimedia as well as objects. A cafe offers a place to rest, and a shop sells books and gifts. The museum is close to the Gouverneurstuin, a pleasant garden, and to the town's shopping streets.

It suits history and art lovers, families with older children and anyone curious about Drenthe's deep past. A visit takes two hours or more, depending on the exhibition. Check the opening hours and the current exhibition programme before going, as major shows can be very popular and may require booking.