Roots-Oase Bevrijdingsweg 14/16, Venlo

	3 0 1 Comments

Hans from Germany. Sent 22 Jul 2005.
I've recently been to Venlo and visited the Roots-Shop. I didn't like the shop and will not return for two reasons:
1. The shop was very crowded and had a very intense and unpleasant smell of grass which was all over the room. Normally I like the smell of grass but here it was very incisive. I thought that all my clothes had adopted the smell after I left the shop.
2. The grass I bought is probably the worst quality (while at the same time having premium prices) I ever encountered in a coffee shop. The content of THC seems to be very low and every time I tried their grass I could be sure to wake up with severe headache at the next morning (which normally does not happen for me with grass bought in other shops).
I've heard similar experiences and opinions about this shop and their quality from other customers. Do not go there, the shop is a big ripoff. Only good side of the shop is that it is very conveniently located directly at the Dutch-German border at the end of a highway.

Badboy from Germany. Sent 12 Dec 2004.
Roots, formerly located on the River Maas (de Maaskade) is not tolerated on its old location, because of its greatly increased popularity over the last few years. People kept waiting on the streets, for being able to step into the shop. Most parking lots on "de Maaskade" were taken by Germans, for visiting the shop. This also attracted a lot of illegal dealers to make their business and the city of Venlo wanted to stop this. Finally Oase had to moved out of the innercity, now they are located directly at the douane-station of A61 (runs from Venlo to Moenchengladbach). They have their own huge parking-lot which has been the old truck-station called "Schanenhaus" (a German word which means "house of swans"), the building has been the restaurant and Roots is located down basement. You'll see the entrance from the backside of the house. On climbing down the stairs to hell, you'll see, that the whole shop looks like a dark mining-dungeon, plastered with Bob Marley's guitars and old tour-posters. It's all kept in dark colours and looks a bit frightened, just good enough for a nice flash. They have a very good grass called "White Widdow" and a mostly good peace called "light-colored Super Polm". Combining both, grass and peace makes you go fly high. The shop is definitely worth a visit, even if it won't last too long, cause of the missing windows and fresh air. You will not need a member card, but you might have to show your id-card for letting them check your age.
Oase happened to be banned in the inner-city of Venlo, because of it's increasing popularity. The old shop was just too small for the massive crowd of people visiting it daily. Just like Roots, the shop has moved to the Schwanenhouse (a formerly truck-station near the border to Germany on A61). The whole shop looks very trend-setting. They play Techno and House music and have a shop-design that makes you first look around stunningly. Hot colors, statues and a waterfall just in the middle of the room. There is really a lot of space. Big tables and hundreds of chairs. A pool-table and three huge flatscreens make the time go by very quickly. The shop has a lot of windows and it's light and fresh inside. Next to the two dealer's cabins there is a huge, futuristic bar, from which they sell something to eat and drink. (Chips and Coke, but no beer). They sell the same dope like the Roots-shop, which is actually a part of the Oase-Roots compound. The visitors can choose in about 20 different dopes and about 5 different grasses. The shop is really cool, except of beer, you won't miss anything. You are able to spend the whole day there, even with your family ;) On summertime they have a big terrace outside, where you are able to enjoy your smoke. The terrace has the same size like the shop, and doubles the space in the hot months of summer. (No member-card by the way).

Marco from Germany. Sent 6 Dec 2004.
Roots and Oase were once the 2 most frequented coffeeshops in Venlo. Since end of November they're now in their new location some way outside the town. First the way-description: When coming from the Highway (A40 from Duisburg - Germany) (mhh :D) go "left" at the big circle at the McDonalds (straight is the way to the town centre). Then just follow the road some kilometres till the next circle, there go "right", and than again after 100 metres left and you're nearly on the parking. Huge shining "Oase + Roots" outside the building are a good guide for first time visitors. For me the whole parking and the building seem to be an old establishment. First surprise and the changings to the old shops: no dealers, parking 10 metres beside the door, and two shops under one roof. Perfect for lazy smokers :). The Roots entrance is somekind of hidden behind a door, and therefore there is much less traffic in the shop than in Oase. Roots is very chilly styled, a dark big room with lots of space to fly :). In general it has a very, very, very nice flair. The toilets are clean but small for a 1,95 guy :). The Oase-entrance is around the corner one level higher. It's dressed up like an American burger-store with lots of windows and light, so not as chilly as the Roots, but ok and a huge room with lots of space. So a very good idea by the two owners, all problems solved by one building.

	Roots-Oase

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