ABOUT DE VELUWE
There’s something quietly disarming about the Veluwe. It doesn’t try to impress you. It doesn’t need to. One moment you’re on the highway with lorries flying past and the radio humming, and a few bends later everything just… falls away. The air cools, the light softens, and the trees start closing in around you.
WHAT TO DO IN DE VELUWE
De Veluwe is the Netherlands' largest contiguous nature reserve, located in the province of Gelderland, and known for its diverse landscapes of forests, heathlands, and drifting sand plains. Shaped by ice ages, the area is characterized by moraines, creating a hilly terrain. De Veluwe is popular for hiking and cycling and attracts many tourists every year who come to enjoy the nature, animals such as different species of birds, red deer and wild boar. In this blog, we’ll talk about our two favorite spots: National park de Veluwezoom and National park de Hoge Veluwe.
National Park de Veluwezoom
The first thing you notice when you arrive in the Nationaal Park Veluwezoom is the quiet. The world starts to slow down the moment the forest closes in behind you.
Here the hills roll gently, covered in old oaks and pines, and the air carries that soft smell of moss and woodsmoke. In the early morning the mist hangs low over the heather, if you are lucky. Walk far enough and the forest opens into wide fields of purple where bees hum lazily from flower to flower.
The trails twist endlessly through the woods. You can either walk or bike and just follow whichever you prefer. Hours can pass without seeing another soul (if you go early), only the flicker of light through the branches and the sound of your tires sliding softly over pine needles. Deer move silently between the trunks and vanish again like they were never there. We even spotted a boar having its breakfast. The entrance with the best views is called de Posbank.
At the end of the day we headed back into our rented old school Volkswagen Campervan. It’s small and slow and somehow makes everything around me slow down too. We parked on the edge of a clearing, throw open the back doors and let the last light of the day spill in whilst cookin’ something simple on the little stove. The forest smells like pine and woodsmoke. Quite magical. Do mind you can officially not wildpark in the Netherlands. You just have to be a little smart about it ;)
In the past we have had a night or two at Buitenplaats Beekhuizen, just to sink into the comfort of a real bed. The lodges are located right at the edge of the park, giving you that feeling of really being there.
National Park de Hoge Veluwe
Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe feels a bit wilder. The forest stands taller, the light sharper. Here the trails stretch wide through endless pine and birch, then suddenly open onto stretches of heathland and drifting sand. The Kootwijkerzand is a good spot to visit. On hot days the sand burns under your feet and in the evenings the whole place glows gold.
The free white bikes at the entrance are part of the ritual. You just hop on and disappear into the woods. There’s a rhythm to it: soft tires over pine needles, sunlight strobing through the branches, the smell of warm resin from the trees.
In the middle of De Hoge Veluwe, where the forest suddenly gives way to wide open heath, you stumble onto Radio Kootwijk. It looks completely out of place, this huge concrete building standing alone in all that empty space. There’s nothing else around, only the wind and the sound of your own steps on the gravel. It used to be a radio station, but now it’s quiet.
Wildlife moves quietly here too. Early mornings are when the forest feels most alive. A flicker of movement between the trees. You hold your breath without meaning to, not wanting to break the moment. Then it’s gone, and the forest goes on breathing like nothing happened.
There’s no real plan here, and maybe that’s the point. The Hoge Veluwe isn’t about ticking things off. It’s about drifting. Long slow rides that turn into longer walks. Coffee from a tiny burner while the mist is still lying heavy over the fields. Bread and cheese on a log with your boots off and the sun finally warming your face. That’s whats it is all about.
Hi, we are Bren and Tess! We travel to the most beautiful places in the world, and with our video's, we hope you feel inspired to do the same.
