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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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