Paddling near Winschoten, Groningen

Winschoten sits in the Oldambt region of Groningen province, surrounded by a flat polder landscape laced with canals and waterways. The area is well suited to relaxed flatwater paddling, with the Oldambtmeer close by and a network of historic kanalen — including the Ruiten Aa Kanaal and the A.G. Wildervanckkanaal — threading through the countryside. Groningen province as a whole has around 850 km of marked kanoroutes, making this corner of the Netherlands a practical base for multi-day canal touring by kayak or canoe.