Hoge Veluwe National Park

Situated on the Veluwe hill ridge, near the cities of Ede, Wageningen, Arnhem and Apeldoorn, this national park is an example of the less-known, but beautiful forests of the Netherlands. It covers a 55 km2 area consisting of deciduous woodlands, sand dunes and heaths.

What to do and see in the Hoge Veluwe National Park

The Kröller-Müller Museum

This art museum and sculpture garden in the national park, in the village of Otterlo, depicts modern art as well as e.g. the second-largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh. The 75 acre sculpture garden is one of the largest in Europe, containing works by e.g. Auguste Rodin, Jean Dubuffet and Mark di Suvero. The museum also houses  the Restaurant Monsieur Jacques, which is accessible with a valid museum entrance ticket (costs 3 EUR).

Museonder

This underground museum is situated inside the Visitor Centre of the national park, and it focuses on the geology and biology of the Veluwe hills. The museum depicts e.g. skeletal remains of animals, even extinct species, that live or lived in the area, such as the woolly rhinoceros and the cave bear. The exhibition also contains the excavated roots of a 135-year-old tree.

St. Hubertus Hunting Lodge

This hunting house was originally designed in 1914 for a wealthy couple who owned the site of the present national park, who later used the place to receive guests. The shape of the house roughly resembles a deer’s antlers. Visits are only possible with a guided tour.

Shopping

• The Visitor Centre houses a shop where you can buy e.g. park souvenirs, books, sweets, wooden toys, clothes and honey from the park’s bee population. The Kröller-Müller museum has a museum shop, which offers relevant books, CD’s and other museum and art-related products.

Staying Overnight

• The national park has a campsite.
• The nearby villages of Hoenderloo, Otterlo and Schaarsbergen also have lot of campsites. Apeldoorn, Ede and Arnhem have many good hotels.

Photos: CC licence / Huhu Uet, Simisa, G. Sawatzky, Chat W