Kraggenburg is surrounded by forests, natural areas and farmland with wide-open views. Visitors choosing the village for a stay will find a range of themes to help plan their trip: forest paths and nature watching, activities at Netl, and art and local history.

Forest Paths and Routes

The Kadoelerbosroute passes through a damp forest and offers views across the Kadoelerveld. Along the way, there are opportunities to spot mushrooms, birds, butterflies and Scottish Highland cattle. The starting point is the car park on Kadoelerweg; brown arrows mark the route. The Voorsterbos is home to 800 of the 3,500 mushroom species found in the Netherlands.

The Stienteroute has a different character: it is a varied forest walk through deciduous and coniferous woodland, past ponds and over bridges. There is a place to take a break by the Zwolse Vaart. This gives you two different options: wildlife watching and views on the Kadoelerbosroute, or forest stretches with ponds and bridges on the Stienteroute.

Various cycling routes around Kraggenburg follow many well-maintained cycle paths through forests, along the water and over the mound at Oud-Kraggenburg. The bicycle ferry between Kraggenburg and the Waterloopbos provides walkers and cyclists with a short, free return crossing. Check the ferry timetable before planning your trip. Route 8317 is available as a downloadable GPX file and in printed form from participating organisations.

Activities at Netl and Along the Way

Netl Park in Kraggenburg is home to the largest bamboo forest in the Benelux. The park also has dunes, water for swimming, walking trails and natural play materials. Netl also offers an obstacle course as part of a day visit. Check the latest visitor information before you travel.

At Vuurtorenstrand in Netl Park, Kokomo Verhuur rents out canoes and SUP boards. If you’d like to add more activities to your plans, Speeltuin Buitengewoon De Voorst also has a mini-golf course. Seasonally, Vink Fruitboerderij offers rides through the orchard on the “Pluktrein”. The ride includes information about fruit growing; this activity is seasonal and recurring.

Art and Local History

De Dorpsgemeenschap, a public artwork by Theo Mulder from 1977, is located on Voorstraat. The history of the churches is also part of the village’s character: the Roman Catholic church in Kraggenburg was the first permanent Catholic church in the Noordoostpolder to open its doors. The former Sint-Jan-de-Doper Church is a municipal monument; the building has been converted into residential accommodation.

Oud-Kraggenburg was once a small island or peninsula in the Zuiderzee. A lighthouse keeper’s house was built on a mound. At the foot of the mound is a small inland harbour, also known as a refuge harbour. Sailing ships and steamships could seek shelter there in fog and storms. These former functions give the mound and harbour a historical significance distinct from the village’s artworks and paths.

Another cultural landmark is PIER+HORIZON, a landscape artwork by Paul de Kort in the Zwarte Meer. Together with De Dorpsgemeenschap, it offers a view of two different art locations: one is on Voorstraat, while the other is in the Zwarte Meer.

Discover more destinations: Rutten, Emmeloord, Bant, Marknesse.

Go to the main travel overview: Noordoostpolder.