Drents Museum
The Drents provincial museum in the centre of Assen, famous for the bog mummy “Meisje van Yde,” a 10,000-year-old canoe and major international archaeology exhibitions.
The Drents Museum is located on the Brink square in the historic centre of Assen. It combines historic buildings, including the former provincial parliament building, with a new underground wing. Its permanent collection is best known for the Meisje van Yde (Girl of Yde), a bog mummy from about 2,000 years ago, and the Pesse canoe, roughly 10,000 years old and considered the oldest boat in the world. It also houses artefacts from the Drenthe dolmen culture and a collection of realist art and crafts from 1885 to 1940. The museum regularly hosts major international archaeology exhibitions, including ones on ancient Egypt, China and the Dacian gold of Romania (in January 2025, the Dacian gold helmet was stolen). It is generally open from 10:00 to 17:00 on Tuesdays through Sundays and closed on Mondays (holidays excepted). Adult admission is over €20, and booking major exhibitions online is recommended. From Groningen central station, the train to Assen takes about 17 to 20 minutes, followed by a 10-minute walk.
Opening hours
Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00; closed Mondays (except public holidays)
Nearby sights
- Hortus Haren
- Groningen Canal Cruise
- Groninger Museum
- Pelstergasthuis (Holy Ghost Hospice)
- Museum aan de A (Northern Maritime Museum)
- Folkingestraat
- Der Aa-kerk
- Vismarkt & Korenbeurs