The fact that Drenthe was already inhabited by people during the Neolithic period is evidenced by the presence of 52 dolmens. 

These are funerary monuments, consisting of boulders that were brought in from Scandinavia by ice during the penultimate ice age.
Of the 53 dolmens that occur in the Netherlands, 52 are in Drenthe.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Drenthe was largely waste ground in an isolated region. Drenthe has been the largest supplier of peat that served as fuel throughout the Netherlands.

It is the least populated province and it has managed to preserve its rural character. That is still pleasant to feel.