This week, Assen is the backdrop for a particularly international event: the Kings & Queens 2025 Geocaching Event. Hundreds of lovers of the global GPS search have already settled in the capital of Drenthe, and according to co-organizer André Ubels it will only be busier in the coming days.
The week is full of so-called side events such as bike rides, games, joint breakfasts and meet-ups. The kick-off was Wednesday and the absolute highlight follows on Saturday, with the large Kings & Queens event. Around two thousand participants are expected there.
“Geocaching is 25 years old this year,” says Ubels. “It started in May 2000 with someone who put a coordinate online. Someone else found the place and sent a message back. That’s how millions of people worldwide are participating. There is even a geocache on Mars.”
An important draw this week is the GPS Maze, an interactive exhibition about everything that has to do with Geocaching. According to Ubels, it is possible the first time that such an exhibition has been seen in the Netherlands. “We have built it all ourselves, with some guidelines from America. You learn everything about the game and the technology behind it. And it is free of charge.”
The GPS Maze can still be visited until Sunday in De Bonte Wever in Assen, every day from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday to 8 p.m. and Sunday until 5 p.m. The large Kings & Queens event takes place on Saturday and is the only part for which a ticket is needed.