Holiday apartment in Oldebroek – heathland, churches and cycling routes

Oldebroek combines a rural landscape, an engaging local history and a variety of routes for cyclists and hikers. The De Bovenstreek Farm Museum shows how people once worked, harvested and lived in the Veluwe. The museum hosts various events throughout the year, focusing on traditional crafts. This means that discovering the area begins not only outdoors, but also with an insight into past working and living environments.

Culture and history in Oldebroek

The Sint Lambertus Church in Oldebroek is also known as the Village Church and is a national heritage monument featuring partly Romanesque and partly late Gothic architecture. The tower dates from the 14th century, while the choir dates from the 15th century. During the war, the vaults next to the tower served as hiding places for Jews, pilots and people in hiding. Molen de Hoop is also part of the historic village landscape: it was built by Kornelis Blaauw in 1853 and has three functions in operation. When the blue flag is flying, Molen de Hoop is open to visitors; the miller then offers a tour and explains how the mill works.

Heathland, polder and routes through the landscape

Oldebroekse Heide is a nature reserve in the Noord Veluwe, with areas of heathland interspersed with coniferous forests. Visitors may spot hares, foxes, rabbits, wild boar, roe deer and red deer there. The signposted Het Vreepad hiking trail offers a different landscape experience. It is 16 kilometres long, starts, among other places, at the De Bovenstreek Farm Museum in Oldebroek, and leads through the municipality’s varied surrounding area, with meadows, estates and remnants of wind-blown sand. Along the way, there is also an old settlement and historic farmhouses.

Several shorter routes complement this longer hike. The Bovenstreekroute is five kilometres long and leads through the countryside behind the De Bovenstreek Farm Museum; farmhouses and polders are among its highlights. The Mulligenroute, also five kilometres long, runs through the area around Oldebroek; farmhouses and polders are among its highlights. The Eekterroute is ten kilometres long and leads through the area around Oldebroek and Oosterwolde. Its highlights include farmhouses, woodland and polders, as well as an estate.

Discover Oldebroek by bicycle

Boerderij Beleeftocht offers four cycling routes ranging from 23.5 to 43.5 kilometres, which can be ridden using a special web app. The app contains games, puzzles and interesting facts for the journey. The cycling package also includes a visit to the De Bovenstreek Farm Museum and a healthy farmhouse breakfast, provided in an atmospheric backpack to be enjoyed along the way or at the museum. The “Van Kerkdorp tot Dorpskerk” cycling route starts in Oldebroek. At the entrance of every church along the route, there is a QR code containing information, photos and videos about the respective church.

The Fietsroute WO2 Oldebroek also passes through the municipality of Oldebroek. It runs past crash sites, hiding places, roads named after people who were killed, and other notable locations. The Landgoedroute leads through the area around Wezep, Oosterwolde and Oldebroek; its highlights include five estates, farmhouses and polders. The Bos&Hei-Route runs through the areas around Oldebroek, 't Harde, Epe and Wezep; its highlights include farmhouses, forests, heathland, a sheep barn, an estate and A.Vogeltuinen. The Polderroute leads through the area around Oldebroek, Noordeinde, Reevediep and Kamperveen; its highlights include farmhouses, the Reevediep, polders and birds.

The traditional sheep market is part of Oldebroek’s annual cycle. It takes place every year on the Wednesday before 17 September. In Oldebroek, local history, heathland, wildlife observation, hiking trails, cycling routes, estates and regional events come together. The routes range from five kilometres for the Bovenstreekroute and Mulligenroute to 43.5 kilometres for the Boerderij Beleeftocht.

Other places in the area

The surrounding area also includes 'T Loo, Wezep and Noordeinde.

Oldebroek at a glance.