Holiday apartment in Scherpenzeel: estate, castle and walking trails

Scherpenzeel is situated near a castle on a high sandy ridge between the marshy peatlands of the Gelderse Vallei. The Scherpenzeel estate is publicly accessible almost everywhere via roads and paths. The signposted Oudenhorsterpad walking route runs through the estate. The historic estate farmhouses can usually be identified by their blue-and-white shutters. The landscape consists of avenues, small enclosed plots, sheepfolds and hedgerows. Scherpenzeel is also characterised by a small-scale, enclosed open-field landscape with small farm plots, hedgerows and scattered woodland.

Culture and history

Huize Scherpenzeel, a castle, is first mentioned in the mid-14th century. In the rural area around Scherpenzeel, there are listed farmhouses and old trees that are also included on the heritage register. The entire estate of Huis Scherpenzeel has been designated a protected Rijksmonument since 2000. Visitors can walk and have picnics in the park of Huis Scherpenzeel.

The Grebbelinie is also part of the area's history. It is a water defence line built in the 18th century along the border between Gelderland and Utrecht. From 1939 to 1940, it formed part of the Netherlands' main defence line under the name Valleistelling.

Oud Scherpenzeel preserves local stories, photographs and documents and shares them with residents and visitors. The organisation presents exhibitions, lectures and publications on local history. At the Oud Scherpenzeel documentation centre, visitors can view a photo exhibition, historic photo albums and a genealogy room; more than one thousand old objects are also on display there. The Oud Scherpenzeel association organises four open days every year.

Things to do

The “Scherpenzeelse Verhalen” route is a short walk of approximately 3.6 kilometres through and around Scherpenzeel. It explores the stories of the village and its green surroundings. For cyclists, the “Rondje Vallei en Heuvelrug vanuit Scherpenzeel” route follows the junctions of the Dutch cycle network, marked with white-and-green signs.

At TOP Scherpenzeel at Nieuwstraat 76, there is a canoe landing and a car park. KidsCross Bikepark was developed for children aged 4 to 12 and is freely accessible from sunrise to sunset. ’t Willaer swimming pool has a 42-metre-long slide, a paddling pool for toddlers and an adjacent playground.

Events and traditions

The weekly market in Scherpenzeel takes place every Wednesday from 08:00 to 13:00 in the car park of Kulturhus De Breehoek on Marktstraat. Once a year, on the last Wednesday in May, this weekly market becomes a festive market with additional stalls, music and an evening opening until 21:00. Koningsdag in Scherpenzeel traditionally begins with an aubade in the park of Huis Scherpenzeel. Open Monumentendag in Scherpenzeel included a cycling tour and a walking route.

Food and drink

PicknickValley takes place on the last Saturday in August as a free picnic day in the park near Huis Scherpenzeel. PicknickValley features food trucks and snack stands offering wood-fired pizzas, hot dogs, chips and sweet treats, as well as the local Scherpenzeeler wine Vallée du Lys. The traditional market in Scherpenzeel offers artisan bread, fresh cheese, homemade sausage and other regional specialities.

Other destinations

Other destinations to choose from include Scherpenzeel, Oldebroek, Bronckhorst, Wijchen, Voorst, Neerijnen, Overbetuwe and Winterswijk.

To the overarching travel overview: Gelderland.