Sleen is a village in

Drenthe Drenthe () is a provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen (province), Groningen to the north, and the G ...

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

of about 2,500 people. Sleen has been inhabited for centuries. Much ancient history can be found in the area, particularly in the forests (which are planted, though). At birth and during the Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden ( Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (1581–1795)). Sleen became the capital of one of the six “dingspels” (administrative areas) of Drenthe. When Drenthe was recognised as a province, Sleen became a municipality capital, before it merged into the municipality of

Coevorden Coevorden (; nds-nl, Koevern) is a city and municipality in the province of Drenthe, Netherlands. During the 1998 municipal reorganisation in the province, Coevorden merged with Dalen, Sleen, Oosterhesselen and Zweeloo, retaining its name. In ...

. Sleen has a 450-year-old

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Ch ...

. At about 68 meters, it is the highest church in the entire province. Nowadays, it functions as a

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family a ...

. There is also another Protestant church in the village. Nowadays, Sleen has its own

supermarket A supermarket is a self-service shop offering a wide variety of food, beverages and household products, organized into sections. This kind of store is larger and has a wider selection than earlier grocery stores, but is smaller and more lim ...

(behind the former police station), library, fish stand (every Wednesday),

café A coffeehouse, coffee shop, or café is an establishment that primarily serves coffee of various types, notably espresso, latte, and cappuccino. Some coffeehouses may serve cold drinks, such as iced coffee and iced tea, as well as other non-ca ...

s, a few other shops, hair salons, petrol station, sports park (soccer, tennis, multipurpose indoor complex), horse riding school, houses for the elderly, and other facilities. There are also two schools: CBS “de Fontein” (Christian primary school) and OBS “de Akker” (public primary school). “De Brink” is the “centre” and the old part of the village, with some historic houses and a brick road. This is also where the two churches are, and other facilities like the former municipal centre. New houses were constructed over time, and an area known as “de nieuwbouw” is where the most recently constructed houses can be found. The famous Pieterpad (a long hiking route that runs from Pieterburen in the north of the country to the St Pietersberg in

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

in the south) goes straight through Sleen. The windmill '' De Hoop'' has been restored to working order.

Notable people

Joël Voordewind Joël Stephanus Voordewind (born 9 July 1965 in Sleen, Drenthe) is a Dutch politician and former development aid worker. As a member of the Christian Union (''ChristenUnie'') he was an MP from 2006 until 2021. He focused on matters of foreign ...

(born 1965), politician

References

External links

Official website of the village of Sleen
{{Authority control Coevorden Populated places in Drenthe Former municipalities of Drenthe Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 1998