Het Loo Palace with formal baroque gardens in full bloom in Apeldoorn, Gelderland, Netherlands

🇳🇱The Veluwe & Gelderland

The Veluwe in Gelderland is the Netherlands' largest nature area, packed with cycling trails, wildlife, royal palaces, and world-class museums - perfect for a family adventure.

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Your family guide

The Veluwe with kids: forests, wildlife and palaces

“Ancient forests, roaming deer and world-class art. The Veluwe covers more ground than most Dutch regions.”

— San & Jo

If your family loves being outdoors, the Veluwe is one of those destinations that genuinely delivers. This vast natural region in Gelderland is the largest nature area in the Netherlands, shaped by glaciers over 200,000 years ago into a dramatic landscape of dense forests, blooming heathlands, rolling dunes, and shimmering lakes. It feels nothing like the flat, canal-lined Netherlands most people picture, and that surprise alone makes it worth the trip.

What makes the Veluwe so good for families is the sheer variety. One morning you can be cycling through beech forests spotting deer in National Park De Hoge Veluwe, and the next you are standing in the ornate gardens of Palace Het Loo or watching monkeys roam freely at Apenheul Zoo. There are more than 50 museums and four zoos in the region, plus over 500 campsites and bungalow parks if you want to wake up right in the middle of it all.

The pace here is wonderfully unhurried. Sheep herds wander across the heathlands, glacial boulders dot the sandy terrain, and the air smells of pine. Whether your family is into hiking, cycling, wildlife watching, or just finding a quiet spot to breathe, the Veluwe gives you the space to do it properly.

Gelderland, NetherlandsCentral-eastern Netherlands

1,100 km² of natureLargest nature area in the Netherlands

Best April to OctoberSpring and summer are ideal

Cities and places in The Veluwe & Gelderland

3 places

Apeldoorn

Discover Apeldoorn with your family: a baroque palace, the world's first free-roaming primate zoo, and easy cycling through a stunning national park.

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Arnhem

Arnhem blends WWII history, world-class museums, a top-rated zoo, and beautiful parks into a compact, family-friendly Dutch city that rewards two to three days of exploration.

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Nijmegen

Nijmegen is the oldest city in the Netherlands, combining Roman ruins, medieval parks with deer, riverside beaches, and a walkable city centre perfect for families.

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What makes it special

Why families love the Veluwe and Gelderland

Europe's wildest corner in the Netherlands

The Veluwe is the largest nature area in the Netherlands, covering over 1,100 km². Its landscape shifts from dense fir and beech forests to purple heathlands, Europe's largest sand drifts, and quiet moorland lakes. It is the kind of scenery that makes kids stop and stare.

Free bikes and roaming deer in De Hoge Veluwe

Holland's largest national park covers over 5,400 hectares and hands out free white bicycles at the entrance. Your family can cycle through forests and heathlands, and with a little patience, spot deer wandering freely through the park.

A grand royal palace

Palace Het Loo near Apeldoorn is one of Europe's finest royal palaces. Built in the 17th century, it features spectacular formal gardens, royal carriages, historic stables, and artefacts that bring Dutch royal history to life for curious kids and adults alike.

Van Gogh, sculpture, and a monkey park

The Kröller-Müller Museum holds the second-largest Van Gogh collection in the world, set inside a sculpture garden you can actually walk through. And at Apenheul Zoo, primates roam freely among visitors, which is as thrilling as it sounds.

Sand drifts, glacial boulders, and ice age history

The Veluwe was shaped by glaciers 200,000 years ago, leaving behind Europe's largest sand drifts and scattered glacial boulders called erratics. You can hike or even sandboard the dunes, and the eerie ruins of the Radio Kootwijk transmitter are just nearby.

Your kind of holiday

Cycle through forests and heathlands

With over 40 km of dedicated cycling paths winding through forests, heathlands, and dune landscapes, the Veluwe is a dream destination for families who love getting around on two wheels. Grab the free white bikes in De Hoge Veluwe and just go.

Camp in the heart of nature

With over 500 campsites and bungalow parks across the region, the Veluwe is one of the best places in the Netherlands to properly immerse yourself in nature. Fall asleep to the sound of the forest and wake up with deer grazing nearby.

History, art, and royal gardens

Between Palace Het Loo, the Kröller-Müller Museum, and the charming medieval Hanseatic towns of Elburg, Harderwijk, and Hattem, the Veluwe has more than enough to keep culture-loving families busy for days.

Fun facts

Things to know about The Veluwe & Gelderland

It was built by a glacier

The Veluwe's hills were not always there. Around 200,000 years ago, a massive glacier pushed the earth up into ridges as high as 110 metres, creating the Netherlands' largest push moraine. Those hills your kids are hiking? Pure ice age engineering.

The oldest national park in the Netherlands

National Park Veluwezoom was established in 1931, making it the oldest national park in the Netherlands. It has been protecting its heathlands, woodland estates, and sweeping panoramic views for nearly a century.

Free bikes at De Hoge Veluwe

National Park De Hoge Veluwe has a fleet of free white bicycles available for all visitors to borrow. No rental fee, no booking required. Just pick one up at the entrance and start exploring. Kids absolutely love this.

Taste the Veluwe

What to eat with kids in the Veluwe and Gelderland

Pannenkoeken

Dutch pancakes are bigger, flatter, and more satisfying than the French version. Topped with syrup, bacon, cheese, or fruit, they are a staple of the Veluwe food scene and an instant hit with kids of all ages.

Kids love it

Stamppot

Creamy mashed potatoes mixed with curly kale, served with rookworst smoked sausage, crispy bacon, and rich gravy. This is proper Dutch winter comfort food and a warming reward after a long day on the trails.

Safe choice

Kruudmoes

A traditional one-pot Veluwe dish made with buttermilk, pearl barley, bacon, herbs, and rookworst sausage. It is simple, hearty, and deeply rooted in the region's farming history. A genuine taste of old Gelderland.

Local favourite

Balkenbrij

A savoury Gelderland speciality made from meat scraps, buckwheat, and mixed spices called rommelkruid, sliced and fried until golden. It is often served as a hearty breakfast or snack and is worth trying at a local farm café.

Must try

Rookworst

Smoked sausage is the backbone of Gelderland cooking. You will find it in stamppot, kruudmoes, and on its own with mustard. Pick one up at a local market in Elburg or Harderwijk for an easy, satisfying snack on the go.

Daily treat