TT Circuit Assen · Drenthe, Netherlands
“Assen has hosted a Grand Prix every single year since 1925 — no circuit in the world has a longer unbroken MotoGP history. The Dutch fans don't just watch racing; they make an event of it. The town of Assen transforms completely for TT weekend: caravans fill the surrounding fields, parties run through the night, and over 100,000 fans create an atmosphere that veterans say is unlike any other round. The circuit itself is exceptional — smooth, flowing, fast, and technically satisfying. This is where legends are made and where the sport's history runs deepest.”
Assen is the capital of the Drenthe province — a quiet, pleasant Dutch town of 70,000 people that transforms into one of motorsport's great party venues for TT weekend. The town itself is compact and walkable, with a centre built around the wide Brink square and a handful of good restaurants and bars. But the real draw is the circuit, which sits just outside the town boundary, and the festival atmosphere that builds from Thursday onwards as fans pour in from across the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and beyond.
The surrounding Drenthe province is genuinely beautiful — flat agricultural land punctuated by ancient forests, heathland, and the famous hunebedden (megalithic stone tombs, the oldest surviving structures in the Netherlands). Cycling is the natural way to explore it.
Dutch food is honest and hearty rather than glamorous. In Assen and surrounds, look for stroopwafels (caramel waffle sandwiches, eaten warm over a coffee cup), haring (raw herring with onion and pickles — a Dutch institution), bitterballen (fried ragout balls, the perfect beer snack), stamppot (mashed potato with kale or sauerkraut), and Dutch cheese (Gouda and Edam are locals, but Beemster and Old Amsterdam are better). During TT week the circuit and surrounding fields are dotted with food stalls — Dutch frites (chips) with mayonnaise are essential circuit food.
Groningen is 30 km north of Assen and well worth a visit — a lively university city with an excellent Museum Groningen (contemporary art, housed in a spectacular Mendini-designed building), the medieval Martinitoren tower, and a vibrant bar and restaurant scene concentrated around the Grote Markt and Poelestraat. Thursday evening before race weekend, when fans are arriving and the city is buzzing, is a great time to visit. The Groninger Museum is a genuine highlight — one of the most architecturally remarkable buildings in the Netherlands.
The Dutch TT is as much festival as race meeting. The circuit fields surrounding Assen host tens of thousands of campers from Thursday. Music stages, beer tents, and an enormous paddock village create a multi-day event. The Saturday after qualifying traditionally sees an enormous street party in central Assen — the TT Festival has been running for decades and draws crowds into the early hours. If you're coming for the atmosphere, book a campsite inside the circuit grounds — it's the authentic TT experience.
Amsterdam is 180 km south of Assen — 2 hours by car or 2.5 hours by train (Assen → Amsterdam Centraal direct). For fans who want big-city accommodation, restaurants, and nightlife, basing in Amsterdam and driving or training up for race days is a viable option. The Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, and the canal ring are all within the city centre.