Route 5: The Krabbenbrug in Veele
On this route, you’ll walk around the centuries-old esdorp of Veele. This route is 7.5 kilometres long.
Veele is not a young peat colony village, but a centuries-old esdorp between Wedde and Vlagtwedde, situated on the Mussel-Aa Canal and the Veelerdiep. The walk takes you through the stream valleys of the Ruiten Aa, the Westerwoldse Aa and the Veelerdiep, and through the esdorp of Wessinghuizen.
History has profoundly changed the village of Veele. The construction of the Mussel-Aa Canal brought trade and vitality; the steam tram ran across the bascule bridge until the war, and in those days Veele was home to no fewer than seventeen shopkeepers.
At the end of the 1940–45 war, the liberation of…
Veele is not a young peat colony village, but a centuries-old esdorp between Wedde and Vlagtwedde, situated on the Mussel-Aa Canal and the Veelerdiep. The walk takes you through the stream valleys of the Ruiten Aa, the Westerwoldse Aa and the Veelerdiep, and through the esdorp of Wessinghuizen.
History has profoundly changed the village of Veele. The construction of the Mussel-Aa Canal brought trade and vitality; the steam tram ran across the bascule bridge until the war, and in those days Veele was home to no fewer than seventeen shopkeepers.
Towards the end of the Second World War (1940–1945), the liberation of Veele led to yet another transformation. On 12 April 1945, a unit of liberators led by Colonel Blondeel (the road on the north side of the canal is named after him) advanced towards the bridge. Three young Belgian soldiers, ten German soldiers and a baby from Veele were killed in the fighting. Fourteen farms, houses and barns went up in flames. The bridge was blown up for the second time during that war. The restored bridge is named after 21-year-old Belgian Sergeant Philippe Rolin, one of the three Allied soldiers killed in action. A small monument stands by the Rolin Bridge.
The Westerwolde canals were dug between 1911 and 1917 in response to increasing flooding caused by the ongoing reclamation of the marshes and peatlands. The peatlands acted as a giant sponge, capable of absorbing large amounts of rainwater. In the south, the Ruiten Aa Canal in Ter Apel connects to the Stadskanaal; the Mussel Aa Canal does so at Musselkanaal. At Veelerveen, north-east of Veele, both canals converge to form the Verenigd or B.L. Tijdens Canal. The Ruiten Aa Canal is divided into nine ‘sections’ and the Mussel Aa Canal into eight sections, each with a head of 1 metre. Many old bascule bridges, such as the one in Veele, have been replaced by fixed concrete bridges.
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This is a route of the Walking in Westerwolde Foundation. You can still sign up as a sponsor for this route. Mail to info@wandeleninwesterwolde.nl
Here’s what you’ll see
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Starting point:
Parking in the verge near the Rolinbrug
Wedderstraat 48
9541 VN Vlagtwedde
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End point:
Parking in the verge near the Rolinbrug
Wedderstraat 48
9541 VN Vlagtwedde
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Features
Walking
- Dogs must be kept on a lead Yes
Tour/Route
- Explanatory season: The bank and mowing paths can sometimes be very boggy. Wearing waterproof footwear is therefore recommended.
- Tagged: Yes
- Explanatory marking: Yellow and white with print WIW 5