Brummen: Holiday apartment between heathland, the IJssel and cultural heritage

Brummen combines open heathland, the forests of the Veluwe, an extensive cultural landscape and the IJssel. Particularly characteristic is the Empese en Tondense Heide: the open area lies in the municipality of Brummen between the Veluwe and the IJssel and includes dry and wet heathland, purple moor-grass meadows, wet nutrient-poor grassland and pools. Visitors are welcome there and can walk along hiking trails and a boardwalk among flowers, plants and wide-open views.

Nature

Hiemberg also showcases the area's small-scale landscape. Fields, pools, small woods and scrubland form a link between the larger natural areas of Empese en Tondense Heide and Voorstonden. The nature can be viewed from public roads; the pools of Hiemberg are home to the rare common spadefoot toad.

Landgoed Leusveld includes woodland, flower-rich meadows, avenues lined with old trees and rhododendrons. The grounds also contain a 1911 hunting lodge designated as a Rijksmonument; the estate is suitable for walking and cycling. Roe deer, badgers and crested newts live in this landscape. The visitor-relevant landscape of the municipality of Brummen extends from the forests of the Veluwe through the cultural landscape to the IJssel.

Trails

For hiking, Brummen offers a Veluwe network of hiking trails covering 150 kilometres. Marked trails, including Klompenpaden, cross agricultural land in the municipality that is open to the public. A particularly notable trail connection is the NS hiking route Uiterwaarden van Cortenoever: it runs from Brummen railway station to Zutphen railway station along the IJssel and the Berkel. The route can be extended by the Laarzenpad of Staatsbosbeheer through floodplains, flower-rich meadows, marshes and hedgerows.

The Langs de Uiterwaarden route also combines exercise and a river landscape. It is 24 kilometres long and runs from Brummen along the IJssel floodplains to the Cortenoeversbrug and back to Brummen by the Bronkhorsterveer ferry. For mountain biking, the 45- to 58-kilometre MTB route Veluwezoom starts at Eerbeek railway station. From Eerbeek, the Veluwezoom National Park can be reached on foot; the route network for horse riding in the Veluwe can also be reached via the national park, and several routes start there.

At Hallse Brug, visitors can launch canoes, kayaks or SUP boards from a renewed landing stage on the Apeldoorns Kanaal.

Culture

The history of the area is reflected in estates, monuments and living crafts. Jachthuis Leusveld is a 1911 neo-Renaissance Rijksmonument on Landgoed Leusveld between Eerbeek and Brummen. Huis Voorstonden was built in 1550 on the foundations of an earlier building dating from the 14th century. Landgoed Huis Voorstonden includes a house surrounded by a moat, a garden, an orangery and a coach house. Ponds, paths and a rough-wood arch bridge have been restored in the park woodland.

The history of Kasteel Engelenburg dates back to 1570. Its grounds feature a 9-hole golf course with a par of 72 among historic trees. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the nobility hunted game there. Another opportunity to view the cultural heritage is the annual Open Monumentendag in the municipality of Brummen, which takes place on 12 and 13 September 2026. During this weekend, listed buildings that are normally inaccessible are opened to visitors so that they can discover the local history and cultural heritage.

Eerbeek is known as a paper village with a 400-year history of papermaking. Since the 16th century, spring-fed streams were created there for paper mills and laundries. The paper industry and related sectors have largely shaped the spatial and economic development of the village ever since. The public artwork De Papierschepper on Stuijvenburchplein refers to this paper industry. The Papier hier in Eerbeek cycling route provides insights into Eerbeek's paper history. The Korenmolen in Eerbeek is also part of this theme: it is a stop on the Mankes en Weber route and is still in operation today.

ART-Brummen opens the studios of participating artists four weekends a year, once in each season. Visitors can see where the art is created and talk to the artists.

Region

The Bronkhorsterveer carries pedestrians, cyclists and cars across the IJssel between Brummen and Bronckhorst. The Toeristisch Informatiepunt Brummen provides information about attractions and offers car, cycling and hiking routes for exploring the region. The regional character also includes the IJsselmarke network, which connects farmers and consumers and enables visitors to buy locally produced, nature-inclusive and organically grown food directly at the source.

Other places

For further information, see Eerbeek, Brummen, Tonden and Hall.

For the higher-level travel overview: Gelderland.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Lingewaard, Ubbergen, Maasdriel, Rozendaal.