Views over the sanddunes at National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen during sunset.

5 Most scenic national parks in the Netherlands

Picture of Maury van den Wildenberg

Maury van den Wildenberg

The Netherlands has some unique National Parks such as the wadden sea, Biesbosch, Utrechtse heuvelrug and the Loonse and Drunense duinen. In this blog, you can read what you can do and when you should visit these National Parks. We also listed some hidden gems which are typically hard to find.

Chapters

Many large rivers that originate in the Alps are finding their way to the ocean in The Netherlands, turning it into one giant estuary. This, and other natural influences, have uniquely shaped this country for millions of years. The Netherlands aims to protect this beauty via 21 National Parks. We selected the 5 most scenic National Parks in The Netherlands. You will learn everything about:

  • The best time to visit.
  • Cool activities to do.
  • Beautiful places to see and unique flora & fauna.

National park the high Veluwe

National Park the High Veluwe (54 km2), also known as ‘’The Veluwe”, is shaped by various ice ages between 200.000 and 10.000 years ago. It is characterized by beautiful rolling hills, lush forest landscapes, sand drifts, colorful flowering heather, and large grasslands. Due to this diversity of plants and landscape, many animals such as red deer, roe deer, wild boars, and horses call this place home.

A photo of horses grazing in the High Veluwe
Horses grazing on the High Veluwe admits flowering heather fields.

Best Time To Visit

National Park, the High Veluwe, is beautiful all year round. But to be rewarded with truly fairytale-like vistas, you have to catch a sunrise with purple flowering heather fields in the foreground.

For this, we recommend bringing a visit early in the morning between August 15 and September 15.

During this period, many people will visit National Park the Veluwe. To beat the crowds, it’s best to visit on weekdays. This way, you have to share these amazing vistas with fewer people, and the chirping of birds will be more profound.

A photo of Dave watching the sunrise in the flowering heather fields in the High Veluwe
Dave is watching the flowering heather fields during sunrise

Cool Activities To Do

After witnessing that mythical sunrise and a cup of coffee, it’s time to have a closer look at the Veluwe. For this, we recommend the following activities: 

A photo of Maury geocaching in the High Veluwe
Maury exploring lush forest of the High Veluwe while Geocaching.

Geocaching in National Park The High Veluwe

Download the Geocaching App on your phone and join a worldwide treasurehunt for adults. The paths leading to hidden caches will lead you through hiddem gems. Dont forget to enjoy the views while looking for caches!

Hiking in National Park The High Veluwe

Scattered through the Veluwe are many hiking trails. All differ in length, and some are wheelchair accessible. We recommend just going there and parking your car. Close to parking lots, you will find signs and maps mapping out all the trails throughout the park.

Spotting wildlife in National Park The High Veluwe

Do you have a special interest in wildlife? In this case, National Park the Veluwe will reward you with a great variety of wildlife. Get yourself some binoculars and hit those hiking trails. We recommend venturing out during sunrise or sunset to improve your chances of catching a glimpse of horses, roe deers, foxes, wild boars, red deers, or mouflons.

Cycling in National Park The High Veluwe

Scattered across the Veluwe, about 40 kilometers of paved cycle paths can be found. They will lead you through the lush green forest, flowering heath fields, sand drifts, and grass planes. Due to the hilly landscape, cycling through the Veluwe is more complicated than other, more flat parts of The Netherlands.

Beautiful Places To See

The postbank

At “de postbank” you will find the flowering heather field from August 15 till September 15.

Kootwijkerzand

At “Kootwijkerzand” you will find Sahara-like sand dunes. Make sure to clim the watchtower for spectacular views.

Kröller-Müller museum

Admire various works from Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, and others at the “Kröller-Müller museum”.

Crown domain Het Loo

Walk around at “Crown domain Het Loo” the back garden of Willem of Orange, king of The Netherlands.

Elspeetse Struiken

Hike through lush green forests during misty mornings at “Elspeetse Struiken”.

Hertenweide Het Loo

Watch red deers at “Hertenweide Het Loo”.

Unique Flora And Fauna

Horses

On the Veluwe, you may find herds of Icelandic horses to help maintain heath fields and grasslands.

Red deers

Over 200 majestic red deers roam the Veluwe. They are herbivores and love to eat bark, grass, heather, and more.

Roe deers

Over 300 elegant roe deers enjoy an undisturbed life on the Veluwe. Havent you seen them? Some live in captivity at “Hertenweide Het Loo”.

Wild boars

About fifty wild boars (ancestor of the domestic pig) live at the Veluwe. This low number, combined with the fact that they flee as soon as they expect any danger, makes them very hard to see.

Foxes

Since foxes are mostly active at night, they will be hard to find. They are carnivores, but no worries, they focus on small and medium-sized prey such as rodents, bird eggs, hedgehogs, insects, or fruits.

European badger

Badgers love to dig in the ground, but they also want some shelter. The best places to find them are grassland with bushes or trees nearby. Badgers are the largest predators in The Netherlands, but luckily, they don’t eat humans or children.

Mouflon

Not native to the Netherlands are mouflons. In 1921 they were introduced from Sardinia and Corsica. At the moment, there are about 200 residing at the Veluwe.

Wadden sea (Texel, Schiermonnikoog, Vlieland & more...)

National Park, the Wadden Sea (1047 km2), also known as ‘’The Wadden Islands”, is truly a remarkable place and unique in the world. During low tide, most of this sea drains completely empty, enabling you to walk from island to island over the bottom of the seafloor. This is called “mud hiking”. The Dutch call it “wadlopen”. Many people died by drowning in this National Park, they get surprised by the incoming high tide. We highly recommend taking a guided tour to avoid unnecessary deaths.

An aerial photo over a drained wadden sea during sunset
Aerial view over a drained wadden sea during sunset.

Best Time To Visit

Summertime (June-September) is best for visiting the Wadden sea. You can spot many different birds during this period while enjoying moderate temperatures (+/- 20°C). Ensure to protect yourself from the sun and always bring warm clothing with you.

A photo of Peter, Ellen and Maury standing on the drained seabed of the wadden sea
Peter, Ellen and Maury standing on the drained seabed of the wadden sea.

Cool Activities To Do

Mudhiking from The Netherlands to Schiermonnikoog

During low tide, you can walk in roughly 3 hours from mainland The Netherlands to Schiermonnikoog. Since mud hiking is very dangerous due to the high risk of drowning by the incoming tides, we recommend booking a guided tour. This costs about €40,- and will be a unique experience.

Birdwatching on Ameland

Massive amounts of birds visit the Wadden sea during the summer. While you can see birds anywhere in the Wadden sea on an island, we recommend visiting Ameland. Ameland has a population of just 3700 and, thus, is very quiet but easily accessible by boat. Scattered over the island, you can find many birdwatch huts to catch a glimpse of the many different bird species.

Visit Texel

Texel is the largest island in the Dutch Wadden sea. Getting there is very easy, just take the “Teso” ferry. Getting around is easy since there is public transportation, but a bicycle is more versatile. Visit De Koog, a nice coastal village with plenty of restaurants, bars, and places to sleep. While on Texel, you should go for a stroll over the beach, perfect to empty your mind of thoughts.

A photo of the windmill on the island Texel
Aerial view of a windmill on the island Texel.

Beatiful Places To See

Low tide and sunset

If you decide to go mud hiking. Try to book yourself a time in which you will see a sunset. Sunsets on the Wadden Sea can be breathtaking. The warm colored sunlight contrasts beautifully with all the drainage canals. Great to take pictures

A photo of Ellen, Maury and Peter wading through a body of water during mud hiking.
Ellen, Maury and Peter wading through a body of water during mud hiking.

Unique Flora And Fauna

Seawood (Dutch: zeealsem)

While mud hiking, you may find Seawood. Seawood smells a bit like lavender. They used this to make a drink called absinthe back in the day, and it was also used as a wardrobe freshener.

Samphire (Dutch: zeekraal)

Samphire is something you find in fancy restaurants, and this highly-priced vegetable with a silty taste grows here. While mud hiking, you should taste the fresh tips of samphire.

A photo of Maury tasting freshly picked Samphire
Maury is tasting freshly picked Samphire.

National park the Loonse and Drunense duinen

National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen (40.7 km2), also known as “The Sahara of Brabant”, combines Pinetree forests with unique living sand dunes. Before the middle ages, this area was covered with primeval forest. When wood in this area became in great demand, much of this forest was cut down for timber, thus creating dunes. While in the area you should visit this beautiful place.

Views over the sanddunes at National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen during sunset.
Views over the sanddunes at National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen during sunset.

Best Time To Visit

National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen are accessible year-round between sunrise and sunset. Due to climate, we recommend visiting the Loonse and Drunense duinen from June till September. You can expect warm, dry weather but always prepare for occasional showers.

Many Dutch residents visit this place during the weekend on warm summer days. To beat the crowds, we recommend avoiding weekends or holidays.

A photo of flowering heath with sanddunes in the background at National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen.
Flowering heath with sanddunes in the background at National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen.

Cool Activities To Do

Enjoy a picnic

The sanddunes are perfect for a summer picnic. Buy some food and drinks at a grocery store and go out. If you walk a bit more towards the middle of the dunes you will find some more hills and fewer people. The sand is also great for children to play in. Please keep in mind that you won’t find trash cans here, take the trash with you and dispose it at home.

Go out for a walk

The forest surrounding the sand dunes is great for hiking, and you will find many dedicated hiking trails. When you go early in the morning, chances of spotting wildlife are high. Feel free to roam over the sand dunes, bring some extra water, and consider walking bare feet.

Experience mountainbiking

Around the sand dunes lies a 26 km long mountain bike track (single track). Mountainbiking here can be very technical and challenging due to the great variety of landscapes (forest and sand dunes) and variations in height. Skip Sundays to avoid over-enthusiast fellow mountain bikers. To avoid fines, you need a €12,- vignette to be allowed on this track with your own mountain bike. If you rent a bike nearby, this vignette is included.

Beatiful Places To See

Visit the dunes during a cold summer morning

If you visit the sand dunes during a cold summer morning, you might see some mythical columns of mist rising in the sky. This happens because the rising sun is melting ice deposits on the sand and vegetation.

Visit the forests during a misty morning

Visit when the sun has been up for about one hour, and the forest is still full of mist. At this time, chances are very high of watching the sun’s rays piercing the mist, resulting in very picturesque vistas. During the morning, chances are also very high to spot wildlife such as roe deer.

Watch a sunset from the sanddunes

The Netherlands are very flat. If you stand on a sand dune you will be at the highest point in the area. Sit down, grab a cold beer or wine and enjoy the sun setting behind the forest.

A photo of a picknick basket in the Loonse and Drunense duinen
Maury’s and Dave’s picknick basket.

Unique Flora And Fauna

Heathfields

From August 15 till September 15, chances the heath fields in National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen are flowering. This will colorize the sand dunes with beautiful purple flowers.

Sand dunes

The sand dunes in National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen are special because they are “living”. They call them living because they are large enough for the wind to constantly reshape them.

Pine forests

The forest surrounding the sand dunes consists mainly of pine trees. They were planted here by locals because they needed extra timber to construct homes and warm themselves. Now it’s great for hiking.

Roe deer

Roe deer are very shy and thus hard to see. The best chance to spot some is to venture out into the woods early in the morning.

Owls

These nocturnal birds are quite common here. They are very good in hiding, only a trained eye will see them. You can, however, know they’re here by spotting owl pellets.

A photo of a Robin in National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen
Robin’s are very common in National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen

National park the Biesbosch

The Netherlands is basically one big estuary. At National Park the Biesbosch, this becomes very apparent. The Maas and the Waal, two massive rivers, meet with the North Sea. This results in brackish water and changing water levels because of the tides. This National Park is great for leisure.

A photo of cows wading on a hot summer day in National Park the Biesbosch.
Cows wading on a hot summer day in National Park the Biesbosch.

Best Time To Visit

We recommend visiting during summer since wintertime is mainly wet, dead, and cold. Water temperatures will be okay for swimming, and there are many activities to do. To beat the crowds, avoid weekends and holidays.

A photo of National park the Biesbosch during winter, covered in snow
National Park the Biesbosch during winter.

Cool Activities To Do

Geochaching

In National Park the Biesbosch, you can find some interesting geocaching trails. Find some hidden treasures while walking amidst beautiful nature.

Hiking

Also, without geocaching, hiking in the Biesbosch is great. Follow one of its many hiking trails and be rewarded with stunning vistas.

Boating

From August 15 till September 15, chances the heath fields in National Park the Loonse and Drunense duinen are flowering. This will colorize the sand dunes with beautiful purple flowers.

A photo of a boat in the Biesbosch
Rent a boat to enjoy the National Park the Biesbosch at its fullest.

Beatiful Places To See

Early morning walk

A morning walk in National Park the Biesbosch is perfect for emptying your head. You will hear many birds singing, and you might catch some wildlife.

A photo of a cold and misty winter morning at National Park the Biesbosch.
A cold and misty winter morning at National Park the Biesbosch.

Unique Flora And Fauna

Beavers

After extinction in the 1800s, beavers were reintroduced in 1988. By now, there are over 100 beaver dams covering National Park the Biesbosch.

Sea Eagle

The Sea Eagle has a wingspan of over 2 meters and is a remarkable predator.

A photo of a beaver in the National park the Biesbosch
Beavers are quite common at National Park the Biesbosch.

National park the Utrechtse Heuvelrug

National Park Utrechtse Heuvelrug (100km2) was shaped during a iceage(238d – 126d years ago). This National Park gives its character: grasslands, lush forest, sand dunes, fields of heath, and rolling hills. The Utrechtse Heuvelrug has much to offer and is definitely worth a visit.

A photo at the National Park the Utrechtse Heuvelrug with the flowering heath in the foreground
Sunset at National Park the Utrechtse Heuvelrug with flowering heath in the foreground.

Best Time To Visit

While during cold winter days, you may find an extraordinary winter wonderland, your best chances of having a great day outdoor are during summer. The Utrechtse Heuvelrug is with 100 km2 quite large, but we still recommend venturing out during weekdays to beat the crowds.

A photo of part of a hiking trail through the rolling hills at National Park the Utrechtse Heuvelrug
Hiking trail through the rolling hills at National Park the Utrechtse Heuvelrug

Cool Activities To Do

Mountainbiking

Mountainbiking on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug can be challenging and technical. The track leads mainly through forests, and relative to the Netherlands, there is quite a height difference. To avoid fines, you need a vignette to be allowed on this track with your own mountain bike. If you rent a bike nearby, this vignette is included.

Hiking

National Park, the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, is great for hiking. Follow one of the many hiking trails and be rewarded with lush forests and stunning highlights.

A photo of someone mountain biking at National park the Utrechtse Heuvelrug
Mountainbiking at National Park the Utrechtse Heuvelrug is recommended.

Beatiful Places To See

Pyramid of Austerlitz

Build in 1804 by Napoleon, the the pyramid of Austerlitz is a 17-meter-high unique structure. You can climb to the top whereafter you can enjoy extraordinary views over the area.

Amerongse Berg

The Amerongse Berg is the highest points of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug (69,2 meters). On top, you can climb a watchtower for great views.

Burial mounds

The burial mounds at the Utrechtse Heuvelrug date back to 2500-2000 BC. Countless people in the area were buried here.

An aerial photo of the pyramid in Austerlitz
Aerial view of the pyramid in Austerlitz.

Unique Flora And Fauna

Roe deer

Roe deer are very shy and thus hard to see. The best chance to spot some is to venture out into the woods early in the morning.

Grass snake

Yes, they do have snakes in The Netherlands. With a maximum length of 1.30 meters, the grass snake is the largest of them all. To find it, look close to a body of water. If you see one, please leave it, they are harmless to humans and prefer to play dead instead of attacking.

Various birds

Due to the large forest present in this National Park, you can find over 100 bird species here.

Squirrels

The cute red or brown-haired European squirrel is very common in these woods. You can occasionally spot them running over a path, but they mainly hide in trees.

A photo of a squirrel at the Utrechtse heuvelrug
European squirrels are very common in National Park the Utrechtse Heuvelrug.

Check out our video X-plore the Netherlands

Check out this video to learn about the best places to visit in the Netherlands. Help us by liking the video and subscribing to our channel! 🙂

A photo of Maury, Dave and Zoë during sunset at the Loonse and Drunense duinen

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