Etappe 5

Etappe 5: Rolde - Schoonloo

To be honest, our legs weren’t even that bad when we woke up, so we woke up surprisingly ready for another day on the trail. As beginners on long distance trails we are still learning what style fits us, though, we are leanign on two "short" walk days combined with overnigh.

Following yesterday’s plan, we drove to Schoonloo, parked the car at the openbare parkeerplaats (which, by the way, only has two stars on Google, yes, I'm that type that reads parking lot reviews). But honestly, it was perfectly fine. Maybe not the best choice in pouring rain since it’s all open ground, but for today’s dry and sunny start, no problem at all.

What we did forget to check, though, was the Sunday bus schedule. The bus only ran once an hour, a rookie mistake, so we ended up starting the walk a bit later than planned. The bus stop was just a few minutes away, and we joined a little crowd of other walkers waiting for the short ride to Rolde.

The bus drops you practically at the Pieterpad itself, and just like that, we were on the go again.

Unlike many previous stages, this one dives almost immediately into pure, quiet nature. I had completely forgotten to check for cafés or lunch stops (overconfident after so many “constantly in civilisation” etappes), so our provisions consisted of a couple of bananas.

Turned out, this was the day when that wasn’t enough. There were no towns, no cafés, no shops - just forest. And honestly? I loved it.

This stage shows a different side of Drenthe. Meaning: less farmland, more wilderness. The trail winds through a beautiful mix of woods, small heaths, and open fields and finally hardly any roads, hardly any cyclists to look out for.

There were even some swampy stretches, wooden boardwalks, and the kind of deep quiet that makes you forget you’re in the Netherlands at all. These two stagesL Zuidlaren–Rolde and Rolde–Schoonloo easily became my favorites of Pieterpad (so far).

After about four hours of steady walking, we made it back to Schoonloo and definitely ready for lunch. Mai got a well-earned nap in the car (dog mode on, of course), while we headed to Herberg de Loohoeve for a proper meal.

If you’re planning your own Pieterpad stages around here, definitely check this place out. It’s not just a restaurant as it’s also a lovely boutique hotel that offers Pieterpad transport, foot massages, and yes, dog-friendly rooms. Had I known that earlier, I might have planned a rest night here.

Lessons learned:

🚌 Transport tip: Double-check Sunday bus times as there’s only one per hour between Schoonloo and Rolde.

☕ Food tip: No cafés on the trail itself, so bring snacks!

🌲 Mood: If you’re craving solitude and nature, this is your stage.

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