Assen in Drenthe

24km (15 miles) S of Groningen

With all due respect to the capital of Drenthe province, Assen (pop. 64,000) is a pleasant enough town but contains little of historical importance or unmissable visitor interest. It is, though, a good base from which to make forays into Drenthe's rural tranquillity -- an ancient landscape in which life flourished long before the land on which most Dutch now live was reclaimed from the sea.

Getting There -- Up to three trains an hour run from Groningen to Assen station, a little way east of the center of town; the ride takes less than 20 minutes and costs 5€ ($8) one-way and 9€ ($14) for a day round-trip. By car, take A28/E232 south, or the parallel and more scenic N372.

Visitor Information -- VVV Assen, Marktstraat 8-10, 9401 JH Assen (tel. 0592/243-788; fax 0592/241-852; www.ditisassen.nl), is in the center of town.

Places of Interest

Just south of the center, the large Asserbos public park contains the remnants of an ancient oak forest, though only around one-tenth of the park's area is covered by original forest, the remainder having been planted in 1760. On the grounds is a children's farm.

Farther south, just outside of town, is Holland's national TT (Tourist Trophy) Circuit (www.tt-assen.com), where the annual Dutch grand prix motorcycle race takes place on the last Saturday in June. On preceding days, Assen's peaceable streets fill up with leather-clad bikers and fab-looking bikes from around Europe.