If you look at satellite images you will immediately notice that the landscape of Veenhuizen does not at all fit in its environment. Just try it with Google maps: you will see a former colony of straight lines and perpendicular corners amidst fantastic peat moorlands and a twisting brook. Veenhuizen has a so-called orthogonal structure: the lanes, canals and junction canals form lead right lines. You could just check it with a ruler. The colony was spaciously set up, with a main canal and six junction canals perpendicular to it. Three square-shaped asylums were built, surrounded by agricultural plots which were worked by the inmates.
Many of the peat moors have been cultivated in the course of the centuries; however, fortunately a significant part of this vulnerable nature has been preserved. Between the village and nature there are lead right forest parcels with long lanes – it once was agricultural land but at the end of the nineteenth century trees were planted there because of a shortage of inmates.
Two of the six junction canals have (in part) remained intact or were restored. And also some locks, earth lanes with stately oaks and beeches and a historical draw-bridge show some of the original landscape of Veenhuizen.
Fortunately, there still are some magnificent old maps and photos showing the historical landscaping in its full splendour.