Holiday apartment in Ede: heathland, cycling routes and living history

Ede is located in Gelderland, centrally situated in the Netherlands, and is easily accessible by car via the A12 or A30. The town and its surrounding area combine diverse landscapes with cycling, hiking and horse-riding trails, historic sites and a varied range of museums. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Ede, you can therefore plan your days entirely according to your interests: with exercise on the heathland, nature observation, regional cycling routes or cultural discoveries.

From your holiday apartment in Ede to heathland trails and nature experiences

Bus route 106 runs between Ede and the centre of Het Nationale Park De Hoge Veluwe. Along the way, it also stops at the Otterlo entrance and the Kröller-Müller Museum. For hikers, Ede offers a waypoint network that allows you to create your own routes and choose their length yourself. The Meulunterenpad has access points at Lunteren railway station and at the intersection of Vijfsprongweg and Hoge Valksedijk in De Valk, near the Iron Age farmstead. Het Nationale Park De Hoge Veluwe also has 45 kilometres of bridleway.

At Wekeromse Zand, nature and archaeology meet. The sandy area covers 500 hectares; free-roaming mouflon help preserve this landscape. Several marked hiking trails lead through the area, and educational foresters regularly offer guided tours. With a little patience and luck, deer, foxes or badgers can be observed from the freely accessible wildlife observation post. From a viewing platform at the reconstructed Iron Age farmstead, you can look out over the surrounding area.

The history of Wekeromse Zand is also visible in the reconstructed buildings. Traces of farmstead posts from the Iron Age were found there; based on this pattern, a farmstead and a spieker, meaning a storage shed, were built. The approximately 2.5-kilometre-long Celtic-fields-route passes a field with Germanic agricultural plots and a well. In the Luntersche Buurtbosch and around the Goudsberg, there are around five marked hiking trails. The Meulunterenpad runs through the surroundings of Lunteren over sandy paths, meadows, streams and old arable land, and at Broeksteeg uses an old church path, one of many church paths in Lunteren.

Heathland, wildlife and distinctive landscapes

De Ginkel consists of woodland, ponds and the extensive heathlands of Eder Heide and Ginkelse Heide. The area is home to red deer, wild boar, sheep and roe deer. The Edese Schaapskudde keeps the heathland open through grazing, preventing trees and shrubs from overgrowing the landscape. Schaapskooi Ginkelse Heide is a Rijksmonument and is used by the flock of Veluwse Heideschapen that grazes Ginkelse Heide.

At Natuurcentrum De Ginkel, nature activities, excursions and guided tours of the Veluwe are part of the programme. Wild observation hide De Hindekamp can only be accessed accompanied by a guide from Natuurcentrum De Ginkel. Those looking for a longer hike through changing landscapes will find an 8-kilometre route through heathland, shifting sands, grassland, arable land and woodland at Planken Wambuis. A wildlife observation screen and several viewpoints offer opportunities to observe grazing animals and wildlife there. Planken Wambuis can also be explored by huifkar, a horse-drawn wagon.

The historic landscape of Planken Wambuis is also remarkable: for centuries, it was part of the extensive estate of Kasteel Rosendael. Planted beech avenues and houtwallen are still visible there. For cyclists, the Smaakfietsroutes in Ede offer a special connection between landscape and regional cuisine, as the routes take you by bicycle past traditionally produced regional products.

Museums covering local history, art and music

With its permanent exhibition, Museum Lunteren presents the history of Lunteren. A large collection of photographs and postcards of the town is supplemented by numerous objects displayed in temporary exhibitions. At the Goudsberg, the exhibition "Hoog van de toren" in Uitkijktoren De Koepel provides insights into the everyday lives of former inhabitants. The Kijk en Luistermuseum displays a collection of mechanical musical instruments from the 19th century; during guided tours, a guide demonstrates several instruments. The collection also includes a functioning Amabile harmonium, of which three examples still function worldwide.

The Kröller-Müller Museum has a significant collection of works by Vincent van Gogh. The sculpture garden contains more than 160 sculptures. Museum Deelen presents a collection on the history of the neighbouring Deelen airfield and devotes extensive attention to the air war from 1940 to 1945. Museum Vliegbasis Deelen covers the history of Deelen military air base, the ME 262 jet aircraft and the air war over the Veluwe.

Several sites in Ede commemorate its military history. The Belgenmonument stands on the remains of the foundations of Vluchtoord Ede, a refugee camp from the First World War that existed from 1914 to 1918. The Airborne-monument on Ginkelse Heide commemorates the landings of British paratroopers on 17 and 18 September 1944. Oorlogs- en Garnizoensmuseum Ede presents military history through the themes of Ede garrison and Ede during the Second World War. With the Handboek voor Helden, children aged 8 to 12 can discover the military history of the municipality of Ede. A hiking route through Ginkelse Heide also follows the route of Operation Market Garden.

For further orientation within the area, you can find the direct locations here: Harskamp, Lunteren, Otterlo, Ede, Bennekom, Wekerom and Ederveen. Another place in the same reference area is linked: Rijnwaarden.

For the higher-level travel overview: Gelderland.