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Sand sculpture route Schoterveld

(3.2 km)

Every year, you can take a lovely walk past various sand sculptures in the Schoterveld nature and recreation area. The theme changes every year.

Season 2025-2026

The theme for the 2025-2026 season is “mythical creatures”. There are ten sand sculptures in total, each displayed in its own cube-shaped box along the route. You can see a selection of the sand sculptures in the attached photos. But in real life and in 3D, they are even more beautiful and impressive. Each box has a short text explaining the intended image, so that it is clear even if you do not recognise the mythical creature.

The sand sculpture route ran through th…

Every year, you can take a lovely walk past various sand sculptures in the Schoterveld nature and recreation area. The theme changes every year.

Season 2025-2026

The sand sculpture route ran through the Kuinderbos until mid-August 2025; at the end of September 2025, the route was moved to the Schoterveld, a little further on. A completely new walking route has been created around the Schoterplas, along which the sand sculptures can now be seen.

Directions

The route starts at Schoterweg 1 in Bant, near Welllerzandweg. You can park your car or bicycle in the car park of Camperplaats De Stronk at Schoterweg 3.

You can choose how long your route along the sand sculptures will be: 3.2, 4.7 or 5.7 kilometres. The route goes through the forest and over the landscape embankment, which means it is an unpaved path with elevation differences, making it unfortunately inaccessible for wheelchair users.

The attached GPX file for this route is the longest version. If you walk the route in the correct direction (not past FENN's restaurant first, but around the Schoterplas lake first), you cannot miss the signs indicating the direction. Follow the signs with the arrows marked “sand sculptures”. The map attached to this route shows the points where you can choose between the shortest route, the medium route or the longest route.

Dogs are only allowed on a leash and walkers are requested to look with their eyes, not their hands. So enjoy the sculptures without touching them, so that people can enjoy them for a whole year.

Facilities near the route

At the start of the route, in the car park of De Stronk activity area, you can use the toilet. Before you walk back to the car park at the end, you will pass restaurant FENN's, where you are welcome during opening hours for a cup of coffee, a tasty lunch or a delicious dinner.

The sand artists

The ten sand sculptures for the 2025-2026 season were created by Anique Kuizenga, Jeroen Advocaat and Sikke-Bart Frieling, three sand carvers from the northern Netherlands. The cubic boxes in which they are displayed were provided by refrigeration company De Groene from Rutten. The sand used to make the sculptures was extracted on site in the Schoterveld by Firma van de Wiel from Drachten, the sponsor of the sand sculpture route.

How the sculptures can remain standing for a year

The sand for the sculptures is first thoroughly wet and compacted. The sculptures are carved out of this compacted block. Because the sand is well compacted, after drying it forms a kind of soft sandstone that can withstand wind and weather.

When the sculptures are finished, a thin protective layer of cellulose (white children's glue dissolved in water) is sprayed over them. This layer dries hard and transparent and protects the details from deterioration due to weather influences.

At the last sand sculpture, there is an opportunity to leave a small donation to help maintain the sculptures this year. So if (children's) hands do cause minor damage to the sand sculptures, repairs can be made.