If you are going to Assen.....

Wapping

Wapping

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..... you might as well tack this jaunt onto it, courtesy of Alpentourer 1/2018

Download the GPS file for free from the magazine’s website. One instant holiday idea, involving all but zero effort.

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Zoutcamp, in the top north-north-east corner has excellent fish. A very quick Google says that there are lots of hotels (they can’t all be biker unfriendly, a rip-off and shite) and quite a nice campsite:

https://translate.google.co.uk/tran...//campingdewatermolen.nl/&prev=search&pto=aue
 
aye if your going to assen make a trip up the road to groningen ,its a great little amsterdam hidden in the back streets
 
It flat but the countryside is broken by lots of little canals and bridges. In short, it’s interestingly different to hooning (or bimbling) in the Alps.

I am no big fan of the much shortened Assen circuit nor the much reduced ‘Speed week’ from the madness that was the 80’s but it’s still worth a jaunt.

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I can but concur - the spectacle of the old circuit & madness of Assen has been confined to history.

Still an enjoyable trip, for those that haven't experienced it in the good old bad old days though. A bimble around NL is always pleasant in my experience, if/when allowed again.

We tend to use the Van der Valk group where appropriate, modern but quirky - https://www.valk.com/en/hotels I hope they can manage their way, financially, through the virus shitstorm.
 
I went to Assen in 2019 for the first time. Had a great time, but the motorway trip up there from Calais was long, busy, hot and a general pain. Next time I'll take an extra day and take a more circular route. Rural Netherlands was surprisingly enjoyable and we were blessed with good weather. A trip around would have been great but we only had a long weekend... I was curious about the islands off the coast, as well..

(I can thoroughly recommend the hospitality package in the Haarbocht lounge at Assen circuit, by the way. Especially if you can get someone else to pay for it.)
 
good route from the Rotterdam boat that
 
If you fancy a little shopping, there is a branch of Motoport in Stadskanal and a huge branch at Leek just to the west of Groningen. When I lived in Assen I spent a lot of time and money in both.

Just after the start is the fortified village of Bourtange. It has one of those star shaped ramparts around it. Very pictureskew village inside. It was the first such fort I ever saw but they pop up all over the place. I’ve seen them in several European countries and I believe there’s one on the north bank of the thames in Essex.

Hoogezand is the place where natural gas was first discovered and prompted the Dutch to go looking in the North sea..............

I can recommend the route but `i used to get a lot of pleasure just following my nose, trying to get lost along that coast and then when I’d had enough, use my GPS to get me home again.
 
Ahh Assen in the 80's campsite mayhem barking mad Germans great racing on a proper track, fooking brilliant it twas!!
 
Nippy Normans supply Touratech, Wunderlich, Desert Fox and many other makes of accessories.
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