Hiking NL diary
|
|
On
this page
we maintain a brief description and our impression of hiking trips in
the
|
|
|||
|
By the way, more great ideas; Wandelzoekpagina.nl - Wandelnet.nl - Wandelroutes ('de Tweevoeter') - Wandelpad.com - De Wandeldatabase - De Hikingsite.nl - Wandelweg door Nederland - Wandelwebsite van Fred Tiep - Wandelgids Zuid Limburg - Gelderse Grensroute - Weekendhike - Utrecht te voet - GPS Tracks.nl - ANWB Toeractief - Tweevoeter |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Sunday 23 May 2010, 'Groene Kikker Route' (Green Frog Route), 2.1 km near Schoonrewoerd (http://www.natuurcentrum.nl/) Shortest hike ever... yet worth mentioning because of the very 'Dutch' scenery views and landscape history... The hike circles the Schoonrewoerdse Wiel ref as the 'Wiel van Bas'. A 'Wiel' is a pool or lake which was created when the river and land dikes broke and huge amounts of water flooded in the land in a very short period in time. This particular 'Wiel' was created in1573 and covering 13 hectares... It's now a nature reserve with many finding refuge in the old and abandoned orchards... Easy trail, parts over dike ('Diefdijk') offering stunning views but can be very busy (cyclists,cars, motorbikes) on a sunny day... Note the 'Dordtse' house ('Alblasserwaard') next to the dike. Although the Classer's is quite some miles away the protection against flooding offered by the Diefenbaker was very important for this area. So the dikes integrity was managed closely from this house, avoiding travel costs and time (18th Century, close by the 17th Century farmhouse 'de Kruithof'. Our GPS track is available, download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Friday 26 March 2010,bespoke route, Forestry Dorst 6.8 km just NorthWest of Dorst (Boswachterij Dorst) Again a great and easy hike in an area where moors, trees and water meet... Probably busy during the weekends and in the holiday season... so pick the right day according your preferences.... Our GPS track is available, download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Thursday 25 March 2010, Venneroute route 80 'Wandelboek', 8.9 km Kampina estate, west of De Roond The most enjoyable and interesting hike this week! Yes, the sun was shining an that helps... no, we did not Photoshop the pictures... The 'Kampina' nature area was previously dominated by moors and sheep. As the sheep became redundant (because artificial fertilizer was introduced) grasses and trees seized the opportunity. Now Icelandic horses and cows (Blonde d'Aquitaine) work hard to keep the area open. The real attractiveness comes from the many fens with abundant wildlife (birds) and rare plants. Strongly recommended! Our GPS track is available, download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Wednesday 24 March 2010, Kraaijenberg Hildernisseroute route 77 'Wandelboek', 12.2 km, near Zuidgeest, south west of 'Bergen op Zoom' To be honest, not the most fascinating hike we've done this week. It starts of well enough in the Northern part of the track. Some easy slopes, nice hike through the wetland next to Markiezaatsmeer and a detour to a birdwatching shed. The view from the tower next to the visitor center is great as well as is the initial track southbound. After that the forest gets a bit dull and the noise from the busy highway A4 is never far away... Our GPS track is available, download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Tuesday 23 March 2010, Bredaas Kwartiertje route 79 'Wandelboek', 4.7 km City walk through Breda, 'the pearl of the south', long Military tradition, Royalty and the remnants of war are visible here... Numerous historical buildings combined with modern design and a hospitality in bars and restaurants. Our GPS track is available, download HERE Note we interrupted our walk visiting the Graphic Design Museum (De Beyerd) Worth while! |
 (De Beyerd) |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Monday 22 March 2010, Chaamse bossenroute 78 'Wandelboek', 12.7 km Boswachterij 'Ulvenhout' These forest in the south of the Netherlands (Brabant) are approximately 100 years old. Originally production forest, now developing toward nature management and recreation. Varied forest and interesting trail. The Putven is a great place... and again ... waterproof boots or shoes recommended as shown in the pictures. Our GPS track is available, download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Sunday 21 March 2010, Huis ter Heide route 81 'Wandelboek', 7.7 km south east of 'De Moer' After arriving and parking our caravan for the week at the VeKaBo campsite 'De Kleine Absthoeve' between Oosterhout and Breda we decided to enjoy a late afternoon stroll near De Moer; the 'Huis ter Heide route'. Enjoyable hike, some muddy stretches; as we encountered several times during the next week. Suitable boots or hiking shoes recommended to keep your feet dry... Apart from that; nice, varied trail, no significant road noise, might be relatively crowded and busy during the weekends and holidays. Our GPS track is available, download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Sunday 13
December 2009, route 8 'Grasduinen', 14 km just south of Lelystad We'd been looking for an opportunity to hike in or close to one of the largest wildlife resorts in the Netherlands: the Oostvaarderplassen. Not an easy job as there are a few (short) hikes from the visitor centres, but most of the Parc is of limits without a guide. Yet the magazine Grasduinen came up with a solution; connect two walks and end up with a real hike. Varied trail... route description fine, multiple opportunities for birdwatching and photography or just sheltering from bad weather... The GPS track is available: download HERE. We particularly enjoyed the Western part of the hike but be sure to bring waterproof boots! You're well below sea level and to protect this great wetlands the water level is being kept fairly high... |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Sunday 8
November 2009, route 47, Groenekanseroute
13,6 km (not 12 km as described in the book) near Groenekan and Maartensdijk Varied trail... signs do need an update, so use the GPS track when able (download HERE). Hike is just north of Utrecht and close to the Highway to Hilversum (A27). Depending on the wind direction this shouldn't be too much of an annoyance ... However, on a sunny Sunday autumn afternoon you'll share your trail with many bikers and joggers. If you're in the mood for this; the route provides you with a relaxing, easy trail... passing the part of the Dutch ' Waterlinie' fortifications, park Beukenburg. Huis Voordaan, Fortress Voordorp etc. |
 |
||||
 |
|||||
 Natuurpad de Kuilen |
 |
 |
|||
 Oude Havenroute |
 |
 |
|||
| Monday
21
September 2009, route 26 Combination of the Oude
Havenroute
and the naturetrail de Kuilen near Kuinre, 9 km The Oude Havenroute starts of great with a reconstruction of the old harbour... yes, this was an inner see not too long ago... After that; bit disappointing and boring unless you're interested in a wide variety of ferns. Fortunately the statues carved in trees bythe worldchampion with the chainsaw John van Kampen provide a welcome distraction! The nature trail compensates for the disapointing trail above. Allthough still developing; it's a very attractive scenery, well marked and despite the short distance very varied... The Welsh ponies who are responsible for 'maintenance' really fit in the landscape, but when blocking your trail these 'wild horses' might cause some delay... Free advise: if you're by car, use it to get from one track to the other; the connecting route isn't very attractive along a tarmaq road. If you're in for some extra miles there are more interesting forest tracks to get from one hike to the other... |
 |
||||
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
  Sunday 20 September 2009, route 29 Hulshorster Bosrandroute near Nunspeet, 20 km. Very varied walk, well marked trail and excellent scenery: forest, fields, sanddunes and moor. Strongly recommended! GPS track available; click HERE |
 |
||||
 |
|||||
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Sunday
6
September 2009, route 14 Emmerdennen route in and
around
Emmen, 12km Surprisingly ´green´ walk in and around the ´green´ city of Emmen in the north of the Netherlands in the province Drenthe. en in province Drenthe. This area was threathened by sanddunes in the 19th century. The sand was ´fixed´ by planting many fir trees and now provides an excellent habitat for a variety of animals and plants. Much older are the historically interesting dolmes 'hunebedden' along the way... And if you do have some time left don´t pass the famous Emmen ZOO: 'noorderdierenpark' without a visit! Note: route is well marked but has changed in time, look at the insert in the map or use our GPS track. |
 |
||||
|
 |
 |
|||
| Saturday 5
September 2009, route 6, Appélbergen, 5km,
near
Groningen Short, interesting, varied, not too well marked,. muddy for after rains and starting point difficult to find. Yet, defenetely worth your visit if you're in the neighbourhood of Groningen city. Old peat area and as nature is allowed to follow its course (with a little help) now developing into a beauiful swamped area again. |
 |
||||
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Saturday
25
July 2009,
Vijfheerenroute, Hei- en Boeicop, 14 (or 20) km ('Zuid-Hollands Landschap; www.zuidhollandslandschap.nl) Click to download the GPStrack (14 km version) Unmarked trail, so collect your copy of a route description at a local tourist agency (VVV) or at 'Natuurcentrum de Schaapskooi' where you can park your car as well... Run by volunteers, it's not open 24/7 so check opening times if you want to be sure (+31 (0)345 641 201 or www.natuurcentrum.nl) . The description provides you with a lot of interesting information as well, adding to the pleasure of this nice hike. There are a few short (nature trails) in the adjacent to the track, so you can ad quite some interesting kilometers to original trail... More information on this in the leaflets.. Excellent environment for birdwatching... note that a significant part of the track leads you over muddy and unpaved roads, characteristic for this 'swamp like' area... It is a polder... so you're well below sealevel and the area was developed around the peat - industry... |
 |
||||
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Sunday
3 May
2009, Korte
Lochemsebergroute, 8 km Click to download the GPStrack Well marked trail, there's a longer route available as well.. Great scenery, but usually very crowded with other hikers, dogs and mountainbikers... |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Saturday
2 May
2009, Gietelo, 'Langs
hagen en over dijken' Toeractief Wandelroutebox #34 8 km Click to download the GPStrack Varied, easy trail. Partly along the IJssel and an ancient castle 'Slot Nijenbeek'. You might bring some binoculars if you're into birdwatching, some great opportunities there... |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Friday
1
May 2009,
Berkelvalleiroute, ANWB Wandelboek #33 near Warnsveld and Almen 18 km Great, very easy trail, very varied in the eastern part of the Netherlands wandering in the neighborhood of the river Berkel... Passing some great estates as well to add a little culture and history to this trail... |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| Sunday
26 April
2009, Nieuwegein -
IJsselstein - Nieuwegein, 14,1 km We decided to visit family in IJsselstein and take the opportunity to define a route of our own. Starting at the corner Middenweide/Dassenweide in Nieuwegein to the tramstation at the Praagsingel in IJsselstein. Obviously this route takes you trough the suburbs of Utrecht, but there are a lot of nice 'nature' views as well and the historical innercity of IJsselstein is always a nice intermezzo... As the tramstation is hafway this circular route you might take the tram back to Nieuwegein (or Utrecht). However, if you walk this hike clockwise you'll miss the nice views over the 'Nieuwegeinse Plas'.... You can download the track in various GPS formats HERE. |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| 14
April 2009,
"appetizing hike"
Loonse en Drunense Duinen near Helvoirt 6 km, route by Karen and Marcel
... Brief encounter with a relatively new 'National Parc', hiking through the.sand dunes can be tough...but if the 'tough gets going' your're rewarded with some great sceneries.... We'll be back for more, in the meantime more information on nationaalpark or natuurmonumenten |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| 20 March 2009, 'High
Grounds in the
Achterhoek', 's
Heerenberg, Montferland, 9 km route 41 Wandelroutebox (Toeractief) Great route, some busy tracks but the 'Castle Huis Bergh', the nice city of ;s-Heerenberg and the height differences of the trail really make this hike enjoyable. Varied as well, open plains and forest scenery... Our GPS-track available for download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| 19 March 2009,
Varsselroute near
Varssel, 10km, route
35 ANWB Wandelrouteboek Nice track, very representative scenery for this part of the Netherlands... Bit too much tarmac and cobble stones for our taste and probably very busy during the holiday season and sunny weekends. And even Golf ranges provide an interesting scenery nowadays... Our GPS-track available for download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| 18 March 2009, Wandering
in the
Achterhoek, Ruurlo, 7km,
route 37 Wandelroutebox (Toeractief) Great evening hike starting at at the parking of the railwaystation Ruurlo, but very soon you're wandering through the varied landscape south of Ruurlo. Recommended... Our GPS-track available for download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| 17 March 2009,
Beekermarkroute,
Loerbeek, Montferland, 7 km,
route 36, ANWB Wandelrouteboek (Vereniging Natuurmonumenten) Highly recommended if you're not afraid of randy and muddy trails and like to do some ascending. Easy to get lost without a GPS but you might be rewarded with some great sights... Our GPS-track available for download HERE |
 |
||||
 |
 |
|
|||
| 16 March 2009, Achterhoeks
Coulissen
Landschap: Aalten to
Bredevoort, 12 km, Route 38 Wandelroutebox (Toeractief) From 15 March 2009 up to and including 21 March 2009 we stayed with our caravan at SVR camping De Biezenhof in Sinderen, in the East of the Netherlands near the German border. During this brief spring holiday we added 5 hikes to our list and this website... Interesting and varied walk, but unfortunately crossing and following a lot of tarmac and busy roads. Still; the 'town of books' Bredevoort is worth your time and the sights near the estate of Walfort can be impressive. |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
| 8
March 2009, Katwijk /
Wassenaar 'Struinen door Berkheide' again through the Dunes
of Noord Holland (Hollands Duin) 12.3 km,
Route 61 ANWB Wandelroutegids Nederland. Nice Sunday hike, between to 'low pressure areas', so incredibly bright skies. Reasonable temperature for March but this close to the North Sea obviously windy... Great varied Dune and Beach scenery, most sandy trail, sometimes even deep sand and quite some height differences; you'll ascent some 240 meters during this hike... Highlights; remains of the Atlantik Wall, beautifull scenery standing on high dunes, micro 'desert' climate on some part of the trail and the remains of old agricultural fields. Less attractive; the route is close to the cities of The Hague, Leiden etc, and so the Northern and Southern parts are relatively 'crowded' on a sunny Sunday afternoon... No problem if you like dogs and their owners... We recorded the hike on our GPS; download the data in various formats HERE |
 |
||||
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
 |
14
February 2009, Castrictum / Bakkum 'Thea &
Rob route'
through the "Noord Hollands Duinreservaat' 26.3 km Another winter walk on a very bright February day... Thanks to this route defined by Rob and Thea we smashed our 'Kilomers a Day' record... Very nice and varied trail; sets out from the outskirts of Castricum. The Castricum Railway station nearby might be an excellent place to start, providing frequent connections to Amsterdam and Alkmaar. The track leads you through a varied Dune and Beach landscape, providing ample opportunities for birdwatching as well! Please note that in this 'Dune Reservation' you need to acquire an access ticket before you enter the reservation. More information on the site of the PWN. This organization is collecting drinking water from this area for the city of Amsterdam as you will notice on the way... Great hike, some cobble stones (cycling paths) but most of the way sandy forest or beach trails.. PWN is currently doing a lot of reshaping of the landscape so the scenery is likely to change quickly during the next few years... Note that this area is very popular in the summer, so schedule you visit carefully according to your own preferences (crowded or lonely..). We recorded the hike on our GPS; download it HERE |
||||
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| January
11, 2009, Woudenberg,
'Loofbos en Landgoederen' Route 48 ANWB Wandelroutegids NL,
13,6
km (not 11 km as stated in the book) Antoher winter walk on a bright January day... Nice track trough several estates (de Boom, Geerestein), passing part of the history military defenseline 'Grebbelinie' and following the Valleikanaal (Valley channel). We hiked on the last day of a relatively long cold (freezing) period so the track which probably can by slipper on parts because of mud now was slippery with ice... We were rewarded however with the sight of deer and - finally - a Kingfisher ('IJsvogel') hunting fish in one of the few remaining patches of open water. According to some birdwatchers we met, there's a lot more of them in the Valleikanaal area nowadays... We recorded the hike on our GPS; download it HERE. |
   |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| January 2, 2009,
'Weversbuurtwandeling' near Heerenveen (Fr). Route 3, 10 km Winter walk on a bright January day... Nice track trough an estate which around 1740 was the epicenter of Dutch government. You'll encounter historical names like Oranjewoud, Tjaarda's Bos, Sint Jacobspad . Talking to a local resident we learned that this area is extremely crowded during the summer season, so you might want to avoid that... |
 Download
the GPS
track HERE |
||||
 |
 |
|
|||
| December
30, 2008 Oosterbeek
wandeling (route 31 ANWB
Wandelroutegids Nederland / Toeractief), 11 km (not 10 as mentioned in
the book) Great, varied hike with a lot of 'climbs' (for a Dutch trail). During the walk you'll ascent approx. 140 meters and you'll reach 50 meters above sea level... Which presents you with some great views from a site with an impressive WW2 history (operation Market Garden)... Hence the Airborne Museum which is your recommended start and finish. |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| December
28, 2008 Bosbaanwandeling
Amsterdamse bos (route 58
ANWB Wandelroutegids Nederland / Toeractief), 8 km (not 7 as mentioned
in the book)... Remarkably enjoyable walk, only a very small distance from Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam's busiest Business arena ("Zuidas"). Take the planes and joggers for granted and 'decent' below sea level enjoying the birds, the water, 114 small bridges and have a look a the Dachau monument... Download 'our' GPS track if you like...HERE (right click, save as...) |
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
| December
14, 2008, Kathedralenbos,
Almere,8 km, another fine
download from gpstracks.nl Hike around a piece of art: trees planted in the shape of the Reims Cathedral... Apart from that; enjoyable easy hike, reasonably varied.. Track can be very muddy, remember this part of the Netherlands was only reclaimed from the sea about 50 years ago... |
 |
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
19 2008,
'Westerbork Zwiggelte route'
route 15, 16 km (not 10 km as mentioned in the book)... To be honest this route is a disappointment... Although the scenery is great at times, most of the trail is through the village of Westerbork and on the road back from Zwiggelte you're basically following and repeatedly crossing the same busy road with S-shapes movements... However, looking at the scenery and our GPS system you might be able to plot you're own, much more interesting route through this nice area without too much of an effort... |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
18 2008, 'Stad
der Paleizenroute route' (near Assen)
route 11, 5 km... (6.5 km from the free parking place) City walk through the city famous for the Dutch TT (annual motorbike GP). Surprising history and extraordinary buildings once you pay attention to it. Get a route description at the local tourist office to provide you with more insight to make this walk through this friendly town more interesting. |
|
||||
 |
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
17 2008,
'Bosberg- en Kraaiheipollenwandeling' (near Appelscha)
route 4, 10 km... This route is not in Drenthe but in the province Friesland in the "Drents-Friese-Wold (forest). Great hike, basically consisting of two separate trails connected together. The western part of the hike takes you next of a busy road, but that's only for 2 km. Near the start of the hike the presence of restaurants is impressive; a result of the presence of various touristic sites... but no worries, the trails in the forest are not too busy... |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
16 2008,
'Rolder Es route' (near Rolde)
route 12, 10 km Park your car near the impressive 'gothic' church in Rolde and enjoy the 'Hunebedden', the 'esdorpen' landscape as well as some nice moors...Varied walk, worth while although relatively a lot through the villages of Rolde and Balloo... and some 'artificial deviations' to take you through some interesting scenery. Oh... and Rolde is the 'village of the famous Bartje'.... |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
15 2008,
'Bijvoetpad' (near Borger)
route 13, 13 km... To complete the next five hikes, we spend a week in the province of Drenthe, based on a great 'SVR' camping in Garderen; "de Sparrenhof" Recommended... Nice trail, starting near the 'National Hunebedden Information Centre'. From that moment on we would encounter many, well preserved 'dolmen' sites during our hikes... Interesting places. The trail is varied, not too much asphalt but nice nature trails... You'll need to bring some supplies, only the starting point in Borger provides (many) opportunities to cater.... Mind there are numerous wide open stretches without any shelter, might be interesting if the weather turns bad... And... "Bijvoet" is a herb to prevent sore feet... so this is your chance... |
 |
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
6 2008, 'Rondje
Hubertus' (near Otterloo)
route 38, 9 km (not 7 km) or 16 km... We parked our car at the West-entrance of the 'Nature Park' 'de Hoge Veluwe', near Otterloo. Note that you'll have to pay an admittance fee to enter the park. Initially we started our hike towards the starting point but at the 'Kröller Muller' museum we decided to benefit from the 'white bike' program and cycle to the Visitors Centre. If you don't use this option and walk all the way you'll cover 16 km... The GPS-track is available; click on this text to download in various formats. Both the long way and the 'Hubertus roundtrip' are in the file... Note: the mansion of 'St Hubertus' is not alway open for the public; check by phone or at the entrance of the park if you're interested. |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
7 2008, de
'Zanding' (near Otterloo)
Part of the Otterloo route (7 km), modified due to lack of time and bad weather to 5 km... Interesting hike, GPS track available in various formats by clicking on this text. Scenery is great, we called the sand dunes 'sand glaciers' (left picture) and the vertical profile of the hike is very 'un-Dutch'... Sandy and muddy; so waterproof boots recommended and considering the trailmarks we found... it can be busy there... |
|
||||
 |
|
|
|||
August 31 2008, Hollandse IJssel Vitaal.nl 7 (but actually 9) km Nice walk for a sunny Sunday afternoon. Following the route clockwise you'll start in Haastrecht with a lot of tarmac and cyclist but will be rewarded on the way back with an off road trail and great views over the polder... |
(and both maps are 'clickable' as well this time...) Check out our earlier hike, adjacent to this route February 16, 2008, Goejanverwellesluis (Oudewater) |
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|||
| August 10 2008, Plagroute
GPS Tracks.nl, 6 km Another great hike found via GPSTracks.nl, especially if you're interest in landscaping... Several meters below sealevel rich farmland full of manure is scraped away and nature is given a chance to develop on it's own in relatively 'poor soil'. The results are impressive; plants, trees and flowers develop into a divers and colourful swamp... Great to compare the (outdated) Google Earth Arial photographs with the situation today. Worth wile, although a little bit short for our taste... However, recommended for a Sunday afternoon stroll... The route is well marked (poles with blue tops) and you better not stray from the path too far to avoid wet feet... or worse... More info on nature development in this province Zuid Hollands Lanschap |
 |
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| June 29, 2008,
Elsterberg/Egelmeer (nr Veenendaal)
GPS Tracks.nl, 12 km Don't let the pictures scare you, i.e. the middle one... Again great views, a variety of scenery and best of all; almost no tarmac! Recommended! The 'moonlike' scenery in some parts is the result of extensive 'landscaping', bringing back the moor and even 'flooding' the Egelmeer which is not exactly the 'lake' you would expect... Although you'll pass a camping site and some restaurants the route is not very crowded as it does avoid the regular (long distance) paths... Recommended! |
|
||||
|
'zandgat' Kwintelooijen |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| April 13, 2008,
Plantage WillemIII /
Remmerdense heide (Elst, Rhenen),
Utrechts Landschap, 8 km Great views this time again, and best of all; no tarmac and lots of birds singing instead of cars humming! An off road trail taking you (slightly) 'uphill' from the banks of the river 'Lek' to the 'sand excavation site: 'zandgat Kwintelooijen'. The Remmerdense heide (moor) is 'controlled' by the grazing of impressive Galloway deer and offers an easy going, yet sometimes muddy or sandy trail to the forest and the (former) excavation site which is now being turned into an impressive piece of 'nature'. Recommended! Note; the map displays the short route only (3,5 km) |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| March
8, 2008,
Aetsveldroute (Weesp),
route 52, 12 km (not 10km) Although the view along this route is often great, a really disappointing hiking route. The first part of the trail (6km) you walk on a busy road along the river 'Vecht'. Things improve somewhat after passing 'Uitermeer', but it's still tarmac (2km) and a very limited view due to the many houseboats. Upon finally reaching the archaeological interesting 'Aetsveldscheweg' it's great again, muddy trail right through the meadows... If you like city walks things improve even more when you reach Weesp, which has an interesting history... On the upside; if your realy interested in history you'll appreciate the 'bastions', 'fortresses' ('Stelling van Amsterdam') and 'bunkers' (WW2) along the route. |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| February 16, 2008,
Goejanverwellesluis
(Oudewater),
Wat en Hoe wandelgids route 2, 11 km Typical Dutch scenery again, starting on the pavement of the historic centre of Oudewater, but soon becoming and remaining a great, yet muddy trail over the dikes and through the fields between Oudewater, Hekendorp and Haastricht during the first half and subsequently following the tow-path next to the Hollandsche IJssel back East again. Not too many people around, wear waterproof hiking boots and pick the right time of day / weather as the track takes you through open country and there's hardly any shelter available. |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| December
30,
2007, Anserdennenroute (National Park Dwingelerveld), Ruinen
Route 16, 7 km (not 6) Great trail, starting at the visitors centre Dwingelerveld. Worth a visit by the way... Hardly any tarmac, lots of sand and mud :-) and especially enjoyable due to the lack of highway or traffic noise i.e. the silence. Unfortunately very uncommon during walks in the Netherlands... As we like to keep the best for the last moment we followed the track clockwise (opposite to the route shown on the map, but following the white markers enroute). We appreciate open scenery more than forest and the view over the moors is spectacular... Note: it's a popular area, pick the right time of day, day of the week and time of year to make the most of it... |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| December
22,
2007, De Laagt en De Hoogt, Maarn
Route 20, WatEnHoe wandelgids, 9 km Great trail, we walked this on a 'frozen afternoon'. You'll probably have to prepare for a muddy trail if the weather is wet and on a sunny weekend it's probably very crowded in this popular area... But it's great if you pick the right time!
|
|
||||
 |
 |
|
|||
| November
25,
2007, Landgoed Groeneveld. Baarn
Route 15, WatEnHoe Wandelgids Utrecht, 6 km Easy, well maintained trail for a Sunday afternoon stroll...
|
|
||||
|
Lost the pictures of 'Fort Daatselaar'; December 16, 2007 :-( |
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
16th, 2007, Nieuwerkerk a/d IJssel
Route 66, Hitlandroute, 10 km Too much tarmac on the footpath and you'll have to walk a considerable distance along busy roads. Apart from that; real Dutch polder landscape, varied with an open park like scenery, some artificial forest and a path through reed as well as some great sights over the river 'Hollandse IJssel'. You'll pass the lowest part in the Netherlands, - 6.74 meter below sea level (Zuidplaspolder)! Select a day not too hot and not to cold / windy as you'll be in the open most of the time...
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
| September
9th, 2007, Renkum (Gld)
Not from 'the book'; the Quadenoord Route (Staatsbosbeheer) 7,.7 km Great hike, both from a nature and historical perspective. Various types of forest, open 'moors', 'sprengen' with a WorldWar 2 history and the Quadenoord estate now offering 'African Art' from Zimbabwe... Recommended! |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
July 20, 2007, Haarle Route 25; Sprengenbergwandeling 6 km Walk through recognisable remnants of the ice age... Very easy - almost dull - trail which might become more interesting if you take the (much) longer route crossing the moors (picture 2). The 'Palthe tower', a remarkable villa on a hill provides a welcome diversion. Unfortunately it's private property... |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
July 18 2007, Kloosterhaaar Route 21; Engbertsdijksvenen Heidepad 5 km Area in (nature) development, kind of 'back to the future' situation. Interesting trail, and you can easily extend your hike to more than 20 km! The scenery provides a remarkable clear horizon, at least from a Dutch perspective.. for miles around no manmade structures on the horizon. Interesting also from a historical perspective; it provides an excellent inside in how peat was acquired in the old days an put to good use... Trail can be very muddy and wet and the visitor centre at the entrance seems to be closed for some time already...? |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
July 14, 2007, Regge en Dinkel Route 22; Bornsebeekwandeling 6 km Friendly trail with extensive explanations on history, with partially reconstructed remnants of a castle (Havezate Weleveld), as well as reconstructions in progress to further improve the quality of the water as well as enabling the water- authorities to deal with the increasing quantities. Generally an easy trail, which can be very wet (high grass). Unfortunately part of the hike follows a rather dull, paved road so you might want to wait until dinnertime (less traffic).
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
July 12, 2007, Haaksbergen Route 23; Haaksbergerveenroute 8 km Nice trail, impressive nature... can be extremely wet and muddy. That's what you get hiking through ancient moor country where you can literally smell the peat. The route takes you partially along the German border and the wildlife is abundant... There are a lot of opportunities to extend your route, even into the German 'Naturschutzgebiet' adjacent to this area. |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
July 7 2007, Nijverdal Route 24; Twilhaarwandeling, 7 km After parking near the hotel/restaurant and 'visitor's centre' (Sallandse Heuvelrug) and peeking inside this impressive centre you've got the message; this can be a very busy and crowded place... Luckily were there around dinnertime in marginal weather so we had a quit walk trough impressive terrain. Even spotted some deer! Easy trail, slight slopes, most sandy and not crossing any tarmac!
|
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
May 6, 2007, Heerde (south of Zwolle) Route 31; Tonnenberg- en Rekenkamer 12 km In the northern part of the 'Veluwe', the largest 'nature park' in the Netherlands you'll find the freely accessible 'Zwolse Bos'. The varied walk (lot's of sandy or muddy trail) takes you past geo-landmarks like 200.000 years old ice-age remnants (ground pushed forward by glaciers...) some wildlife and lots of moor land. Although some mountain bike trails cross your path it's a relatively quiet area and enjoyable hike.. |
|
||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
April 9, 2007, IJsselstein (UT) Kromme IJsselroute, 10 km Hidden in the 'green heart' of the Netherlands, adjacent to the busiest highway in the Netherlands; a remarkable hike in extremely varied and sometimes surprising scenery. Meet the river Lek, the Kromme IJssel and the Hollandse IJssel! The hike takes you from new suburbs of IJsselstein (Zenderpark) to the 13th century IJsseldam, surprising (and sometimes very wet and muddy) IJsselbos (forest). A visit to the old city of IJsselstein is recommended! |
  |
||||
|
|
|||||
|
March 11, 2007 Route 43, Grechtroute, 12 km This hike takes you through the 'green heart' in the busiest area of the Netherlands; the 'Randstad'. A varied walk through a 'flat' countryside, well below sealevel... Although some of the paths are paved, the route takes you through potentially very muddy and wet fields too, so waterproof hiking boots are recommended...
|
|
||||
|
February 4, 2007 Route 51, Bommelsteinroute, 10km Just south of Amsterdam, near the Ankeveense plassen, Nederhorst den Berg and Nigtevecht. Easy trail, might be muddy were the route crosses open fields, but most of it so paved. Not our #1 choice as a lot of the trail is on paved and city roads. However, if you're interested in history you'll defenitely be interested in how and when these large lakes were created. The route is named after the residence of a famous Dutch comic figure; 'Heer Bommel' as a beatiful castle is very close... Too bad it's not part of the route... |
 |
||||
|
October 2, 2006 Route 76, Cadesand wandelpad en Wallenroute (Cadzand-Bad), 17 km Now here's a challenge... No, not the walk, but the journey to get there... Best reached via Belgium, but on the other hand it's a great excuse to go through the 6600 meters long 'Westerschelde tunnel'. Most of the walk is easy; stones, shells, feeding grounds....The Wallenroute is interesting from a historical perspective, the rest of the trail is aiming at impressing you with great scenery, both land and sea... as well as 'Het Zwin' in between. To be honest, we didn't complete the entire walk due to severe thunderstorms underway...
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
 |
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
|
October 1, 2006 Route 73, Patriciers- en Piratenroute (Zierikzee), 5 km Easy city-culture-historic walk, offering great views, especially when you take the opportunity to climb the “St. Lievensmonstertoren” which obviously requires climbing some stairs… Apart from that there is the maritime museum, the mustard factory, the city gates and the ‘old harbour’ - in which some excellently maintained ‘old vessels’ reside – to keep you occupied along the way… Note the photo of the Zeelandbrug was also taken from the Lievensmonstertoren! |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
Route 72, Ringroute (Dreischor), 3 km Short village trail,
taking you through
the
village Dreischor, which is a very well conserved village, build in a
perfect circle around the village church. Note the Adriaanskerk
(church), the restored mill (Aelolus), the barns with black tar and do
visit the local museum ‘Goemanszorg’ which provides
excellent insight in life in |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
September 30, 2006 Route 74, Schuilhuttocht 11 km
This is probably a candidate for our personal top 3! Strongly recommended… Great ‘Staatsbosbeheer’ walk, extremely varied landscape, intelligently planned hiking trails, well marked and relatively quit. Physically fun but challenging (sometime deep sand, and going up and down…. ) and always the sound of the rushing waves in the distance... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
September 29, 2006 Route 75, Mondriaanroute, 5 km
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
 |
|||
|
August 17, 2006 Route 61, Natuurpad Piet Floris en Kachelduinwandeling, 8 km
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Route 39, Planken Wambuis route, 8 km Easy walk through a varying landscape of open forest, forest with a lot of undergrowth (under development, to provide shelter for approximately 150 deer) and nice moor. Close to Ede (close to the exit Oosterbeek on the A12). Sandy trail, well marked (just follow the yellow dots) and although it's a very touristic area, once you're away from the parking there's not to many people around, only 'wild' horses who do much of the maintenance. |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
July 18, 2006 Route 46,Stulp- en Kasteeltuinwandeling, 5 km Easy walk through a varied landscape near Lage Vuursche. It gets you very close to a castle of the Dutch Royal Family 'Drakesteyn'. Forest, moore, sanddunes and small pools. We actually saw a snake hunting in there! We hiked this train on a very hot 'working' day (34 C), not too many people around. During the weekends this area is very touristic and crowded. |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
June 24, 2006 Route 41, Nederhemert-Zuid Router, 4km Short and very easy walk in a historical setting and a very varied landscape. Mind you, when the weather is bad, do wear waterproof boots, trail can be muddy then.. Interesting historical background information available, not very widely known, even in the Netherlands... If you like you can combine this hike with some canoe work... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
January 15th, 2006 Route 27, Schoklandroute, 10 km Relatively easy walk in a historical relevant around Schokland, which until early in the 20th century was an island in the 'Zuiderzee'. It can still be recognized as such, although it is now surrounded by 'the new land' of the Noordoostpolder. Rightfully an area of importance recognized by Unesco. We used a small plane to have an initial look from above, followed by the actual walk... An easy trail, but due to the many interesting and significant landmarks it will most likely take you more than the regular 2 hours for an 10 km trail... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
December 4th, 2005 Route 49, Dudokroute, 9 km City walk through the
town of Obviously an easy trail, well marked... Remember, if you pick up the leaflet describing the Dudokroute in the 'Dudok Centrum'... this does NOT show the same route as described in the ANWB-book... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Route 93, Rietbeek- en Houtsbergroute, 14 km Great combination of 2 routes, very varied, open and sometimes forest again. Even passing a day recreation area, several fens, wild horses, rare birds and very rare plants. Great hike! The route starts and ends at the Limburgs Openluchtmuseum Eynderhout which was unfortunately closed (off season) when we walked this hike. Easy trail, very well marked, no significant climbs... As you pass several trails frequently used by farm traffic, waterproof boots are recommended. There's an excellent birdwatchers cabin next to the lake 'De Banen' which is worth a stopover, even if your not into bird watching yourself. |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Route 96, Mariapeelroute, 9 km To be honest, as you can find out when studying the photo's, we didn't see a lot during our walk. It was a cold (2◦ C), misty day. However, the scenes we saw were worth while anyway, especially if you've just read a book about swamp ghosts and... get lost so you walk 12 km i.s.o. 9... The scenery is basically the result of the activities of farmers who did a lot of peat - digging to survive in the old days... Easy trail, some parts obviously wet. Following the trail marks proved to be a challenge, the route is a combination of several other routes and crossed by long distance trails as well.. Anyway, worthwhile; very varied, some parts open, some parts forest.... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Route 53, Muiderbergroute, 10 km Circumnavigating the Noordpolder
and Beoosten Muiden,
East of A hike over unpaved
roads, sometimes wet
and slippery, great scenery. Look for a nice day, it's very open
terrain all the way, without a lot of shelter. Take your binoculars and
waterproof hiking boots... The 'Graaf
Floris
V' |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Route 28, Lange Zeewolderroute, 8 km In the reclaimed land,
where once was
the ' Free parking and in spite of the great weather and a number of camping and recreational sites nearby, not too crowded... Just make sure you have waterproof shoes or boots, the whole route takes you on unpaved roads and trails which must be quite muddy when wet. |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Route 48, Westbroekroute, 12 km Great route just north
of Scenery varied and spectacular. Free parking. Although most of the route is 'hiking only' during weekends parts of the route (Tienhovens canal) are crowded with cyclists. Passing the villages of Tienhoven, Oud-Maarsseveen and Westbroek offers opportunities for food and shelter, but can be crowded as well. |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Route 44, Kaapse Bossen, 11 km Easy, but hilly trail near Doorn in the National Park 'Utrechtse Heuvelrug'. A little bit too much tracks and trails for our liking. Can therefore be relatively crowded (day recreation area). Advise; walk in the early morning, weekdays or somewhat 'rainy' days... Scenery nice, but not spectacular. Parking is free and even on busy days there is enough parking space available. Trail might be muddy when wet... Note: end 2005 all routes in this area are scheduled to be changed... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Route 37, Kammenroute, 5 km Short route, easy but hilly trail in the 'Dutch mountains' near Rheden in the 'Veluwezoom'. Well equipped visitors centre and numerous opportunities for a meal, drink or snack along the way... Great scenery, beautiful moors but avoid the weekend and holidays as it might be crowded on parking places and trails. Trail might be muddy and slippery when wet...
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
||||
|
Route 50, Boekesteynroute, 6 km Easy trail, sometimes
muddy and slippery
if
wet, trough three historical country estates i.e. Schaep
and Burgh, Bantam and Boekesteyn.
The
parks were founded around the year 1600 and represent an interesting
piece of ' Some parts are (deliberately) left to nature, some are being well maintained and cultivated which is the basis for an easy but interesting walk through a varied landscape... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Route 45, Leersumse Plassen-route, 7 km Easy trail, well
maintained. |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Route 100, 'Gulpdalroute', 6 km Beautiful, very divers landscape, 3 steep climbs and descends which can be slippery... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
October 12th, 2004 Route 98, 'Rond de Riesenberg', 9km Limburg, near Cadier en Keer and Gronsveld Historic trail, can be
slippery when
rainy... great views of |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Route 99, 'Gerendalroute' 6 km Great scenery, unique in
the
|
|
||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|||
|
Route 42, 'Bloklandroute', 8 km First part (starting from the Tiendweg in Montfoort to the east) is great, final part is rather busy with traffic... |
|
||||
|
|
|||||
Thanks for your interest in this page. Back to our home page!
This page was updated 24 May 2010