Zuidlaren (Drents: Zuudlaoren, Gronings: Zuudloaren) is a village in the north of the province of Drenthe in the Netherlands. Zuidlaren was an independent municipality until 1998, but has since been part of the municipality of Tynaarlo.
The village is located on the Hondsrug, 16 kilometers southeast of the city of Groningen and 14 kilometers northeast of Assen. Zuidlaren has seven brinken and therefore Zuidlaren is often seen as a green village. The Pieterpad also runs along some of these green areas.
Zuidlaren
is divided into various neighborhoods, of which Westlaren and
Schuilingsoord used to be separate villages. Statistics Netherlands
distinguishes the following neighborhoods (with the corresponding
CBS neighborhood code)
Schuilingsoord (0500 and scattered
houses 0509)
Westlaren (0400, North 0401, West 0403 and scattered
houses 0402)
Zuides/ South (0001)
Centrum/ Center (0000)
Zuidlaren had 10,190 inhabitants in 2020, making
it the second largest village in the municipality of Tynaarlo (after
Eelde-Paterswolde).
Religion and philosophy
Zuidlaren has
5 different churches: The PKN Dorpskerk, De Ontmoeting CGK, PKN
Laarkerk, GKv Kandelaarkerk and the Maria-ten-Hemel-Opneming church
(RK). Zuidlaren also has a synagogue. It has been in Zuidlaren since
1884 and is still in use.
Two parts of Zuidlaren are a protected village view: Zuidlaren around the Brink and Dennenoord. There are also several national monuments in the village.
To the east of the village, on the canal to the Zuidlaardermeer, is the De Wachter museum mill. It is a windmill where grains and spices are ground, with an option to fall back on steam engines in case of insufficient wind.
Amusement park Sprookjeshof can be found
on Groningerstraat, also on the east side of the village. This is
both an indoor and outdoor amusement park. The park is mainly aimed
at younger children and is suitable for children's parties. There
are several cafés in Zuidlaren for the (young) adult public. For
example, you have the Vliegh, the Black Cat and the Paris. You also
have the Gouden Leeuw where bigger performances are given. The
village also has a subtropical indoor swimming pool, called
Aqualaren. The swimming pool is suitable for lessons but also for a
day out. Northeast of the village lies the 660 hectare
Zuidlaardermeer with many water sports and catering facilities.
Images
Important statues in Zuidlaren are Berend Botje and
the Zuidlaardermarkt Monument. The sculpture Berend Botje refers to
the children's song of the same name. The Zuidlaardermarkt Monument
is a sculpture group in honor of the 800th Zuidlaardermarkt.
Another statue is known as 'Friendship Vereeuwigd'. The statue is on
the Brink O.Z. (East Side) right opposite the main entrance of the
Prins Bernhardhoeve. The image refers to the fire that destroyed a
large part of the Prins Bernhardhoeve in 1986. The name of the
statue was coined by R.C. Zuidlaren-Anloo, the local Rotary club.
This is because the sculpture was funded by a Rotary club friendly
in Achim, Germany. The image has no title. It was made by Joop de
Blaauw, Johannes van Laer and Ko Vester. The partnership of these
three artists originated during an exhibition in Hooghalen where the
sculpture was made. The proceeds from the sculpture have benefited
an action by Freek de Jonge.
In Zuidlaren, the Zuidlaardermarkt is held annually on the third Tuesday in October. This is originally a horse market. The counterpart, the annual Rodermarkt, is on the 4th Tuesday of September in Roden, originally a cow market. The market is known as Europe's largest horse autumn market and is visited by around 150,000 people annually. Besides the sale of horses, there is also a goods market and there is a fair in the village all week. Swing-in-zuidlaardermeer is organized annually in June. There are various parties in the pavilions around the zuidlaardermeer. You can go from one place to another with taxi boats. The Northern International Equestrian Competition was held in the Prins Bernhardhoeve until 2009.