De Veluwe

The Hoge Veluwe is the largest National Park in the Netherlands, the Veluwezoom is the oldest National Park in the Netherlands, and De Veluwe is one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Netherlands. Within this natural landscape, you can explore dozens of highlights, including the Kröller-Müller Museum with the largest private collection of Van Gogh paintings, and one of the finest sculpture gardens in Europe. Also included, are the vast heathlands and forests with various species of wildlife and birds. There are over 1600 kilometers of bike paths in this area so you have no excuse to take the car.

Villages around the Veluwe

To get a good impression of the history and culture of this area you can best visit the ancient cities, castles and estates or one of the many museums. Some beautiful places you can add to your list are:

• Apeldoorn is the largest city in the Veluwe that offers entertainment for young and old. The most important highlight is the former Royal Palace: National Museum Palace Het Loo.
• Hattem has a beautiful market square where you can order a good meal. It is also the city of the designer Anton Pieck, one of the creative minds behind the Efteling Theme Park.
• Harderwijk is a former Hanseatic city, which is very noticeable when you walk through the old town. Children may prefer to skip the center of Harderwijk and visit the dolphins and walruses in the Dolphinarium Water Park.
• Elburg is one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands and has at least 250 monuments. Book a guided walking tour at the tourist information center (VVV) to see the beautiful buildings and hear the most amazing stories.
• Nijkerk is a municipality in the Veluwe region where many markets and fairs are being organized.
• The old university town of Wageningen has more than 60 national monuments. The many students and events help to make the city of Wageningen a fun place to be.

Visit Arnhem

The largest city close to the Veluwe is Arnhem. The district Klarendal and the ArtEZ Academy for Visual Arts have given Arnhem its reputation as a fashion city. It is certainly a good idea to go shopping, but Arnhem also has numerous museums and zoos to visit, such as the Dutch Open Air Museum, the Dutch Water Museum, the Apenheul and Burgers' Zoo.

More information about the Veluwe.