The 5 Most Beautiful Woodlands in the Netherlands
In honor of the ‘Nationale Boomfeestdag’ (i.e., National
Tree Celebration Day, or Arbor Day) in the Netherlands on Wednesday the 15th
of March, we wanted to give you an insight into the fantastic forests the
Netherlands has on offer. The scenic woodlands in this post may surprise you,
as the country is most known for its flat- and farmlands. But hopefully this
gives you even more reason to learn about these magnificent sights.
1. Veluwe National Park (Gelderland)
This is the oldest national park in the country. It dates
back to the last Ice Age and the landscapes were essentially created by
glaciers. The ‘Veluwe’, as it is called by the Dutch, is a place where you can
find an astonishingly large array of wildlife; from badgers, to wild horses, to
foxes. The park is large enough for several day-long hikes and has a nice
mixture of different landscapes; densely wooded as well as wider open spaces.
Best time to visit: May, June, July, August & September
2.
Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park
(Utrecht)
Next to the ‘Veluwe’, the landscape of the ‘Utrechtse
Heuvelrug’ was also created by glaciers. These glaciers deposited sand mounds as
they crawled across the landscape, which is the foundation of the rolling hills
you will see today. If you are looking for a little uphill hike, this is the
place to go in the otherwise rather flat landscape of the country. This place
is especially beautiful in Autumn when the leaves change colour.
Best time to visit: Late September, October & Early November
3. Amsterdamse Bos/ Amsterdam Forest (Noord
Holland)
This may surprise you, but Amsterdam actually has one of the
largest city ‘parks’ in Europe fittingly called: the Amsterdamse ‘Bos’. The
forest houses different landscapes going from lakes, to ponds, to waterways, to
woodland, and landscaped gardens. In terms of animals, there are free-roaming
Scottish Highlanders and lots of birds. But there is also a horse riding school
and a petting zoo with, for instance, goats and pigs. The Amsterdamse Bos is a
true recreation haven, as there are also canoe rental places, a pancake
restaurant, ice cream stands and a couple of cafés.
Top tip: when Spring hits in a couple of weeks, the South of the forest becomes a lush pink Japanese cherry blossom paradise.
Best time to visit: March & April
4. The Mastbos (Noord-Brabant)
The Mastbos is located in the south, near the Belgian
border. This woodland is over 500 years old, is home to beautiful tall trees
and has many small lakes that give wonderfully calm views as well as picnic
spots for visitors. In terms of history, the forest used to be the hunting
ground of the royal family. Another interesting historic fact about the forest
is that the name ‘Mastbos’ stems from the tall trees that were used as masts on
ships.
Best time to visit: August & September
5. Sallandse Heuvelrug (Overijssel)
This forest is actually a mixture of heath and woodland, but
it’s so beautiful that it has earned its place on this list. Next to the varied
landscape, this national park is also special because of its large population
of sheep. You may spontaneously find one of two herds of sheep prancing around
during your walk, or you can visit them at the ‘Schaapskooi’ on the
Sprengenberg (i.e., an enclosed area with sheep).
Best time to visit: July, August & September
Honorable mentions
Because the country has many more woodlands, I will share a
few honorable mentions to add to your ‘go-to’ list:
- Speulder- & Sprielderbos (Gelderland)
- Loonse & Drunense Duinen (Noord-Brabant)
- Waterloopbos (Flevoland)
- National Park Dwingelderveld (Drenthe)
- Haagse Bos (Zuid-Holland)
-
That’s it: these are forests in the Netherlands that really deserve a visit if
you enjoy a walk or a bike ride in nature. Did it surprise you that the
Netherlands has so many forests? And do you have recommendations or photos
for the rest of the community of woodlands we should visit? Check out the
discussion topic on the forum where we can discuss: https://academy.europa.eu/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=10585
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