Holland | Getting Active in Gelderland with Kids
Liberal, laid back and flat as a pancake…. Holland is sometimes more famous for its spinning windmills and colourful tulip fields… But the stereotypes tell only half the story… So why not look beyond Amsterdam’s canals or it’s medieval towns such as Leiden and Delft and you’ll find unmissable areas such as Gelderland’s natural park at Hoge Veluwe
If you’re a family who loves to camp/motorhome or caravan and are looking to combine a little luxury, relaxation and adventure in Holland… why not head for Camping de Wildhoeve in the Veluwe region of Holland…. it’s packed full of hiking or bike riding opportunities to add to its abundant nature-based activities….the perfect recipe for some family fun and relaxation!!
Situated on the edge of the Royal Forest, we’ve opted to try and discover a little about each part of the region of Veluwe (click here for more)… from it’s wild open heathlands, abundant wildlife, Hanseatic towns, country estates and castles… So where better to start than grabbing the bikes as part of a 25km circuit around the north of the region… with the first stop a chance to visit Cannenburch Castle in Vaasen
Medieval in origin, it’s a castle surrounded by ancient woodland, canals, meadows and ponds…. with even the odd millstream to play ‘pooh sticks’ in.. Originally built by Field Marshall Marten van Rossem (circa 1600)… it’s a brilliant insight into life in the Veluwe from yesteryear… (costs 9.50/adult)
There are over 700 of these splendid castles and estates across Holland, ranging from historical forts to luxurious stately homes…. and much like Cannenburch Castle’s event on the 5/6th May (Medieval Festival). If you manage a visit in 2018 there’s plenty on offer including events at Doorneenburg (Battle of Dornenburg on 30 June – 1 July) or Rosendael Castles (Agapanthus and Castle Garden Market on 21 July)
Every region should have Something special
We’ve been fortunate to see some of Europe’s best experiences over the past 2 years, and each have had something to remember them by. For instance, Slovenia’s Predjama Castle / Postojna Caves natural beauty takes some beating…. not to mention Norway’s iconic Geirangerfjord, Sicily’s Mt Etna Volcano or Croatia’s epic Krka National Park…. But we reckon there’s no better way to enjoy Gelderland than by bike….
Bikes are easy to rent (either bike, e-bike or scooter) from Veluwe Active (or you can bring your own like we did)… But there’s simply hundreds of options to enjoy this part of Holland on two wheels. From ‘Gelders Arcadië Oost Route‘ (45 km) through Rhededn, Rozendaal and Arnhem to exploring it’s natural heathlands past secret burial mounds, roman army camps from yesteryear…. or even head further afield to see quarries housing fossilised footprints of dinosaurs or the nuclear bunkers to protect Holland from the advance of Communism….
As for us, it was the North of the Veluwe that proved our favourite and the Gortelbosche Forest… but next time we’ll also return to bike through the ‘De Hole Veluwe National Park’…. some 5,400 hectares of woodland, grassland and sand dunes packed full of wildlife.
Love Nature? Your kids will love it!
Frequent followers of our adventures will know just how much the girls loved their ‘treasure hunts’ in Pembroke, Wales, ‘discovery trails’ or ‘scavenger hunts’…. even inspiring them to create their own in the beautiful old city of Trogir in Croatia (click here for more)
But our girls really loved the innovative ‘Wildhoeve Park Ranger’ app based nature trail (see more)… which led to a fantastic 10km walk across the heathland and woodland in search for clues and answers to the GPS trail… It’s not something we’ve seen before from a campsite and we reckon it’s worth investigating for families who like to make the most of nature when they visit a campsite.
For those that may want to see what else we’ve found across Europe so far (in terms of treasure….) why not click here….
camping de wildhoeve
so where did we park the bus for the night?
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