Pure Nature: Must-See 5 Places in the Netherlands

Kilometer-long canals, fields and forests, heathlands, dunes, and long sandy beaches. The Netherlands offers a lot of nature. We'll reveal the spots you should visit.

The Netherlands is a flat country, mostly reclaimed from the sea, and often lies below sea level. Without steep gradients, the Dutch landscape is perfect for long bike rides and hikes. Always straight ahead, you can marvel at the fauna and flora along the way.

This is especially true in the country's 21 national parks and 20 national landscapes. We present our favorites you shouldn't miss on your trip to Holland.

Always along the river, that's the recommendation for hiking or biking in Gelderse Poort. The national park includes a river landscape with unique flora and fauna. It stretches from the German border to Nijmegen. The River Waal snakes its way here towards the North Sea, flowing past river marshes, levees, dunes, and the moraine where the towns of Nijmegen and Ubbergen are located.

Additionally, Gelderse Poort offers a home to many plants and animals: beavers, badgers, geese, wild horses, and terns such as the corncrake and many more feel particularly at home here.

The national park only looks like this for the last 20 years. Back then, they started to give the river the banks back. Thus, a varied landscape with forests, swamps, ponds, and reeds emerged.

The province of Gelderland, where the national park is located, has a long history of settlement. The Romans settled here, establishing settlements like the present-day Nijmegen, the oldest city in the Netherlands. A city and national park visit can be wonderfully combined.

Once a sea, now a reservoir: National Park Lauwersmeer was created from 1969 in the north of the Netherlands, a few kilometers from Groningen. Out of fear of flooding, a dam was built into the water. From this emerged an extensive, over 6000-hectare freshwater area with forelands, salt meadows, and deciduous forests.

Lauwersmeer has developed into an important bird protection area with orchid fields and reed strips. Sea eagles breed here. Also, the curlew, pink-footed goose, great crested grebe, barnacle goose, spoonbill, and whinchat can be discovered - either by a boat tour or from the park's viewpoint. Apart from a few places, surfing, canoeing, and even motor or sailing boating are possible on Lauwersmeer.

Tip: A visit is especially worthwhile at night because the national park is completely dark, perfect for stargazing. On some days, the northern lights even flicker over the Lauwersmeer area. So-called Dark Sky Parks are only found twice in the Netherlands and 41 times worldwide. Light pollution is usually too high.

If you didn't know you were in the Netherlands, you might think you were in England with its castles, palaces, manors, and parks in the Achterhoek region. There are no larger cities, but numerous villages with farmhouses. Rivers flow lazily around, sometimes spanned by bridges. Hedges, meadows, and forests intersect the Achterhoek landscape. It could remind you of a scene from a Rosamunde Pilcher novel.

The region, located almost in the middle of Holland, is best discovered on foot or by bike. There are many tours that lead to the most beautiful homes, castles, and gardens. And here lies the smallest city in the Netherlands: Bronkhorst.

Millions of years ago, the thick ice sheet of the Pleistocene lay over the Achterhoek. Tons of sand, boulders, and gravel were brought from the north. When the earth warmed up again, and the ice melted, a moraine landscape with lakes, streams, rivers, sandy plains, and swampy forests was formed here.

What does the name Achterhoek actually mean? There are various stories. For most Dutch people, the name stands for 'far away from the hustle and bustle of the city' - and that's true, making it particularly worth visiting.

Forests, heath fields, sand drifts, moors, and lakes meet and form the 5400-hectare National Park Hoge Veluwe. They provide a home for wild boar, red deer, roe deer, and mouflons - and plenty for visitors to explore.

The best way to do this in this vast area - as is typical in Holland - is by bicycle. The park offers 40 kilometers of bike paths and 1800 free bicycles. The white bikes are located at various points in the national park, mainly at the entrances Hoenderloo, Otterlo, and Schaarsbergen. There are bicycles for children with and without training wheels, as well as bikes with children's seats in the front and back.

Those who prefer hiking can do so with the ranger. On a four-hour safari, he has a lot to show and tell. Each month the routes change and are adapted to the appropriate wildlife season. In summer, special children's safaris are offered.

The hunting lodge Sint Hubertus is hard to miss, even though it hides like a fairy tale deep in the forest. Hunting lodge? It looks more like a castle with a Rapunzel tower. From this towering lookout, you have a marvelous view of the landscape. Also worth seeing in the national park is the Kröller-Müller Museum, a world-famous exhibition site with the largest private collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world and a sculpture garden.

Admission (Day Pass): Adults 11.10 Euro, Children 5.55 Euro

National Park Drents-Friese Wold covers over 6000 hectares, making it the largest forest area in the Netherlands after National Park De Hoge Veluwe. Heath sections, ponds, swamps, and meadows appear between the forests.

Two observation towers in the park offer views of this diverse natural landscape. Naturally, the fauna and flora are as varied as the landscape here. From deer and hares to rabbits, hedgehogs, squirrels, weasels, polecats, and even martens, including Scottish Highland cattle, there are quite a few mammals to see.

Insects also thrive, especially butterflies in the heath area Doldersummerveld. It has been designated by the Butterfly Foundation as the first butterfly reserve in the Netherlands. Bordered brown and Alcon blue butterflies can be found here.

The national park can be explored on numerous hiking, cycling, and horseback riding trails. Nearby, there are many accommodations like campsites, bungalows, hotels, and guesthouses. Cities like Assen, Leeuwarden, Groningen, Sneek, or Giethoorn are also worth a side trip.

Travel Reporter