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Hoge Veluwe National Park

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Situated on the Veluwe hill ridge and near the cities of Ede, Wageningen, Arnhem and Apeldoorn, this national park represents the less-known but beautiful forest parts of Netherlands. It covers 55 km2 area consisting deciduous woodlands, sand dunes and heaths.

 

Routes

Walking

There are nine different clearly marked routes for trekking.

Biking

National park has over 40 kilometres of paths designated for biking. Park lends free bicycles for its visitors, there are 1,700 ”White Bikes” distributed among the bicycle storages at the Marchantplein, the Kröller-Müller Museum, St. Hubertus Hunting Lodge, and the various entrances (Hoenderloo, Otterlo and Schaarsbergen). White Children’s Bikes (without side wheels) and bicycles with front or rear child seats are also available.

 

Something to see

Kröller-Müller Museum

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This art museum and sculpture garden, within the national park in the village of Otterlo, depicts modern art as well as e.g. the second-largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh. 75 acres wide sculpture garden is one of the largest in Europe, having works by e.g. Auguste Rodin, Jean Dubuffet and Mark di Suvero. Museum houses also the Restaurant Monsieur Jacques, which is accessible with a valid museum entrance ticket (costs 3 EUR).

 

Museonder

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This underground museum is situated inside the Visitor Centre of the national park, and it focuses on the geology and biology of the Veluwe hills. Museum depicts e.g. skeletal remains of extant and extinct species that live and lived in the area, such as a woolly rhinoceros and a cave bear. Exhibition contains also excavated roots of a 135-year-old tree.

 

St. Hubertus Hunting Lodge

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This hunting house was originally designed in 1914 for a wealthy couple owning the site of present national park, who later used the place to receive guests. Shape of the house roughly resembles a deer’s antlers. Visits are only possible within a guided tour.

 

Shopping

The Visitor Centre houses a shop where a visitor can buy e.g. honey from the park’s bee population, park souvenirs, books, sweets, wooden toys and cloths. The Kröller-Müller museum has a museum shop, which offers relevant books, CD’s and other museum and art-related products.

 

Staying overnight

National park has a campsite.

Nearby villages of Hoenderloo, Otterlo and Schaarsbergen also have lot of campsites. Apeldoorn, Ede and Arnhem have many good hotels.

 

How to get there

Three entrances lead to the park at the villages of Otterlo, Hoenderloo and Schaarsbergen. The park can be reached via train stations of Apeldoorn and Ede-Wageningen. From train station Apeldoorn, the bus 108 goes to Hoenderloo. There is a change to bus 106 going to Otterlo. The bus stops in the Park near the Visitor Centre and the Kröller-Müller Museum.

Travelling via Ede-Wageningen train station, one should take bus 108 to Otterlo. There, change to bus 106 going to Hoenderloo. The bus stops near the Visitor Centre and the Kröller-Müller Museum.

A travel planner for measuring Dutch locations is here.

Things nearby

 

Text: Timo Hellman

Photos: With the CC licence / Richard Broekhuijzen, Agaath, K.vliet, User:China_Crisis[/fusion_text]

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