Veenhuizen

Veenhuizen is monumental. The Maatschappij van Weldadigheid (Society of Humanitarianism) set up a penal colony in the 19th century. Tens of thousands of beggars, vagrants and orphans were sent to Veenhuizen. These days, Veenhuizen is a village with an extraordinary past and more than 150 nationally listed buildings. The houses are adorned with stern texts. Education. Work and Pray. Knowledge is Power. Work is a Blessing. They immediately explain how unique Veenhuizen was and still is. The village is interspersed with various cycling and rambling routes that take you along impressive monuments, from the power plant to the former hospital Bitter en Zoet (Bitter and Sweet).

Gevangenismuseum

Visit the Gevangenismuseum to find out even more about Veenhuizen's extraordinary past. The museum is housed in the former second mental institution and provides a good picture of the former penal colony and state labour institution. The museum also focuses on today's and yesteryear's prison system.