Drenthe attracts noticeably more winter campers. Before and during corona, campsites had between 6,000 and 8,000 overnight stays, but last winter there were suddenly four times as many: 29,000.
This is evident from figures from Marketing Drenthe. Because measurements are taken over the months of December, January and February, we will have to wait a while for new numbers. But campsites that offer winter camping also report an increase this season.
Take camping site RCN De Noordster near Dwingeloo. “In recent weeks we have welcomed around 250 guests who come especially for winter camping. That is a clear increase. Remarkable, because the weather was bad. But softly,” says park manager Bart Dijkstra.
Most campers at De Noordster come with a camper or caravan. “It is striking that they often come on spec. And stay longer than previous years.”
Nice doing the dishes
The holiday park (which also has many houses) has opened one sanitary building especially for campers. Dijkstra sees that camping is making a comeback. “A few years ago we thought that houses would definitely win. But that’s not true. Some guests find bringing your own accommodation easier and more pleasant. Cosy, fun for the children and in the evening everyone can enjoy washing the dishes at the sanitary building.”
Tent
The Mariahoeve estate in Papenvoort mainly attracts campers who come with their tent. “We had almost fifty places occupied this Christmas holiday,” says manager Marloes Veenstra-Sandee. “Guests really come for the nature experience. With a total area of 20 hectares, no one gets in each other’s way and everyone can back to basics to go. This way people can light our fire.”
Philippe (40) and Jacqueline (38) van der Most fared better on Saturday than the day before. “Then it just kept raining steadily. Fortunately, it worked out in the end. Such a fire is necessary in winter to stay warm,” says the couple from Hillegom.
Good sleeping bag and thick socks
They sleep in a roof tent on top of the car. “We weren’t cold. It is so nice and quiet here. We slept for eleven hours last night. We can completely relax here.” The two often camp in the winter. “It’s doable as long as you have the right stuff. A good sleeping bag, thick socks, lots of layers of clothing and of course that fire.”
The two don’t even think about a hotel room. “We like to be outside, in the great outdoors. And don’t be locked up in your room. The last time we stayed in a hotel was on our wedding night, a long time ago.”
Lost at the campsite
The nature campsite in the forest near Papenvoort is very spacious. Campers do not need to hear or see each other, because the distance between places is often tens of meters. Philippe even got lost when he went to the toilet in the evening. “I really couldn’t find my way back. Jacqueline even had to send me the location over the phone so I could navigate back.”
Further on, Karel Lichtendonk (40, Amsterdam) is just breaking through. His two children are in the car with an iPad in their hand. “They really enjoy winter camping, but now that the end is in sight, they wanted to use the WiFi.” Anyone who has never camped would feel sorry for what Lichtendonk has to clean up in the wet. The wood stove that heated the tent in recent days is now outside. “I tried to dry the tent as best as possible this morning, but it didn’t work out completely. Later in Amsterdam I will hang everything out in the stairwell to dry.”
‘Only guests in the hotel’
It’s a lot of work for a few days of camping. “That’s right, you shouldn’t find it annoying to set up and take down. But I love camping, so I want to be able to go away when I feel like it. In a hotel you are only a guest, here you have the space and your own belongings.”
His children think so too. “It is nice and quiet here, in nature. It is always busy in Amsterdam. You can completely relax here,” says Aron (11), who, like his sister Mirre (8), likes to get out of the car for a photo. Mirre loves wood carving, something she has done a lot in recent days at their own campfire. “It’s nice that you don’t have to pay attention to cars while playing, like at home,” says Mirre.
Marginal despite growth
Drenthe now has fifteen campsites that offer winter camping, significantly more than a few years ago. Despite the spectacular growth, the share of winter camping in the total number of camping nights is still small (2 percent).
Bushcraft
According to manager Marloes Veenstra-Sandee of Landgoed Mariahoeve, the popularity of winter camping is also due to the rise of bushcraft . “Social media is full of it. So people now also want to cook on a fire, pick edible plants and build sweat lodges. Guests come to our campsite for the peace and space. They usually want to retreat completely, but they also look for fun during the holidays. For example, we counted down to the new year together with everyone who wanted to, while enjoying champagne and oliebollen. And no, absolutely no fireworks. We also attract a lot of people with dogs who come especially for this purpose.” The next day there was a New Year’s dive in the lake on the estate.