Holiday apartment in Apeldoorn: nature, culture and family experiences

Apeldoorn combines diverse landscapes, historic sites and family-oriented experiences. In the wider surrounding region, there is an entrance to De Hoge Veluwe National Park in Hoenderloo. At the same time, a city walk starts at Apeldoorn railway station, so you can set different priorities when choosing your holiday apartment: nature, culture, exercise or discoveries with children.

Nature experiences around Apeldoorn

Stadspark Berg & Bos showcases a varied landscape of dense forests, open fields and bodies of water within a compact area. An extensive network of walking and hiking trails allows for short circular walks as well as longer routes. There are also sports facilities in and around the park, including a climbing forest and sports fields. Space for playing, exploring and picnicking complements the facilities; deer and wild boar can also be observed there. A wildlife observation tower and the highest observation tower in the Veluwe are also part of the park. For a shorter route, a route of approximately 0.6 kilometres around the play area begins at Acaciaplein, at the fork between the play area and Apenheul.

On the edge of Apeldoorn near the Veluwe lies Apenheul, a green nature park with monkeys. It features free-roaming monkeys, feeding presentations by animal keepers and playgrounds. Around 35 different monkey species live in Apenheul; guided tours about the monkeys and the history of the park are also offered. Red deer and fallow deer roam freely in Aardhuispark. Het Aardhuis is the visitor centre of Kroondomein Het Loo on Amersfoortseweg in Apeldoorn and has served as a visitor centre, museum and restaurant since the 1980s. A free exhibition covers the origins and development of Kroondomein Het Loo as well as flora and fauna, management and conservation.

Paleispark Het Loo covers around 650 hectares and contains woodland, heathland, ponds and a deer enclosure. Hidden benches, bridges over the streams and buildings that once served the royal family in the park recall the former presence of the House of Orange. A hiking route of around 3 kilometres is also available in Aardhuispark. At Uddelermeer, you can walk along the water and through the surrounding forests. The lake was formed during the Ice Age and is considered one of the oldest natural lakes in the Netherlands. Loenense Waterval has a height difference of 15 metres and is considered the highest waterfall in the Netherlands; its surroundings are suitable for cycling.

Culture, history and special places

Paleis Het Loo was the former summer residence of the Dutch stadtholder and royal family and has been documented as a museum since 1984. Self-guided palace routes are available as audio tours or reading tours. In Sprengenpark, you will find a sculpture garden with works by important Dutch sculptors. The cemetery on Soerenseweg is more than 120 years old. Both this cemetery and the gatehouse are Rijksmonumenten, meaning nationally protected monuments of the Netherlands.

CODA is a Dutch cultural centre that houses a museum, archive and library together. The CODA Museum focuses primarily on modern art, with an emphasis on paper and jewellery. CODA organises exhibitions, children's studios and workshops throughout the year. Teacher-led tours of current exhibitions are offered for groups of up to 15 people; guided tours of the current exhibitions take place on the first Sunday afternoon of each month. A short audio tour through the Cultuurkwartier in Apeldoorn provides information about outdoor art. In Oranjepark, with its English landscape style, winding paths, expansive lawns and a long, curved pond shape the scenery. During the summer months, concerts are held there on Sunday afternoons from the music pavilion.

Wenum-Wiesel also combines landscape and culture. The historic Wenumse Watermolen is located on the Wenumse Beek, is one of the oldest watermills in the Netherlands and continues to be powered by water. A route leads past streams, historic paths and arable fields, as well as through meadows and stream valleys. At a tea house in Wenum-Wiesel, tea is served according to a special tea concept and complemented with matching treats. The Plaggenstekerspad leads through the history of Hoenderloo. In the wider surrounding region, Museonder is a free museum in the centre of De Hoge Veluwe National Park. An exhibition there explains what lives and used to live beneath the earth's surface. The national park provides 2,000 white bicycles for free use.

For further travel planning, you can also include Hoenderloo, Uddel, Hoog-Soeren, Beekbergen, Apeldoorn, Nieuw-Milligen, Loenen, Beemte Broekland and Ugchelen .

For the higher-level travel overview: Gelderland.