Motorhoming in Holland | A ‘Back to Nature’ Experience at Camping de Wildhoeve
If you can catch Holland’s Camping de Wildhoeve on a sunny spring day you’ll be reminded instantly of ‘mother nature’ in all its glory…..From the ever present birdsong to the carefully landscaped campsite interwoven into the Gortelsche Forest that surrounds it…. it’s full of calm tranquil pitches, blue sky and acres of forest to explore by bike. It’s the perfect chance to reconnect with a more natural camping experience
Much like ‘Camping Krk’ in Croatia or Domaine de Massereau in France from other parts of Europe. Camping de Wildhoeve is another campsite that makes it abundantly clear just how impressive their ‘Green Credentials’ are…. and that’s no bad thing in our opinion. Some campers/motorhomers will instinctively head for larger resort based sites whilst others might love the more laid back, relaxed experience that Camping de Wildhoeve offers…
Perhaps that’s part of the reason why it holds the coveted ‘Green Key‘ that shows just how committed they are to sustainable tourism. They go a step further than the normal laws and regulations require and we reckon that’s reason enough to support a campsite that owes much of it’s beauty to the environment it sits in…. plus it’s also offered a perfect ‘road schooling opportunity to discuss environmental geography with the girls (see more on our road schooling here)
So how would you describe Camping de Wildhoeve
Perfect for young adventurers and nature lovers! An ideal place for families who love to switch off from the hustle and bustle of everyday life! It’s hard to exaggerate just how quiet this campsite really is….. apart from the noisy chattering birds and rustle of leaves in the trees… it’s almost silent! Camping de Wildhoeve lies on the edge of the Het Loo royal forestry, surrounded by wildlife and nature. Offering plenty of places for children to explore (see here for more), our girls have spent their time here jumping in and out of the outdoor, natural water park…. clambering up the many slides/climbing frames or grabbing their bikes to explore the 12 hectare campsite and beyond..
Whilst evenings have been spent in the quiet but fantastically equipped indoor swimming pool…. complete with jacuzzi seats, child’s slides and a ‘disco lit’ indoor water slide . Perhaps the biggest success was the water slide with both girls vying to complete the slide, press the buzzer and record a new family record time down the slide…
Before arriving, we were interested to find out why the campsite has collected so many awards (including the ANWB/KRK Innovatie (Innovative) Award in 2017)… and when you visit the campsite it’s easy to see why. From the moment you walk into the woodland themed children’s bathroom (and equally so in the brand new disabled bathroom too)… you understand that this campsite does things a little differently. It may only be 12 hectares in size but it packs a punch! So here’s a few facts to amuse you from Camping de Wildhoeve….
- The campsite’s excellent wifi consumed almost 20,000,000 MB last year!!
- The record water slide score was 9.3 (Lottie managed an impressive 9.9)
- Over 5,000 chocolate croissants from the onsite bakery were eagerly gobbled up last year
- The campsite could fit over 24 football fields in it!
Talking of European Adventures….
For those that will have seen our Sea Cliff Jumping/Kayaking in Croatia or our adventure antics in Norway’s adventure capital at Voss…. You’ll know that we encourage our girls to embrace a little adventure whilst being respectful of the danger of the environment. However, in an area so beautiful as the Veluwe region… there’s really no need to head for adrenalin thrills.
Just grabbing the bikes to explore the vast forests, expansive heaths and sand drift dunes was more than enough. With both girls loving the chance to become a ‘ranger’ for the day…. searching for evidence of wild boar, badgers, fallow deer, roe deer, red deer, bison and mouflon.
Look at those happy smiling faces, do you think we enjoyed it!!!
From the very moment we turned down the twisting narrow lane into Wildhoeve we were hooked…. Having enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the campsite, the exploration of the forests as a ranger…. there’s plenty more beyond the gates of the campsite to enjoy including these easily accessed ‘must sees’ :-
- Cannenburch Castle – we may have seen the Chateaus of the Loire, but we didn’t know Holland’s stately homes/estates could match them… especially this one! (15mins bike ride away)
- Holland’s Hanseatic Towns – most notably our favourite (Doesburg – 50min away) but also including Deventer, Zwolle, Hasselt, Zutphen
- Arnhem Bridge – for those who’ve followed our trips to the WW1 sites in Belgium, or to Berlin’s Cold War historic sites… then Holland’s liberation and museum is a must (45mins away)
Whilst those looking for pretty, scenic cycling routes could do much worse than head for Speulderbos Forest (46km), Liemers (49km)…
Want to see more of our European Family Roadtrip?
For us as parents, our European Roadtrip has been about celebrating what’s available across Europe… Not just learning about it in a book but actually experiencing it at first hand… Just imagine the smell of sea salt in your nostrils as the sea kelp catches your leg before you drift down past rocks towards a cave full of seals whilst coasteering in Pembrokeshire or reading war poetry in theWW1 trenches of the Western Front.
You’re never too old or young to enjoy Camping de Wildhoeve
camping de wildhoeve
so where did we park the bus for the night?
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