Hiking trails in Ugchelen lead through woodland and heathland, along springs and across eschland. At the same time, the landscape tells the story of how water was used and of the mills. Short walks and several hiking routes start at the ’t Leesten information centre. To plan your outing, you can choose according to the route’s character: varied landscapes, a route with a stated length, or a historical focus.

Hikes by landscape and route profile

The ’t Leesten nature area lies on the outskirts of Ugchelen. The ’t Leesten information centre is housed in the Bospaviljoen ’t Leesten; short walks and several hiking routes through woodland and heathland start there. This means the same starting point offers both walks and hiking routes. Details of the individual trails can help you choose between a focus on woodland and heathland and routes that include other landscape features.

The Ugcheler Markepad leads across heathland and eschland, along springs and through forests. The route combines several types of landscape. If you prefer to choose based on such variety, you will find a different description here than for a hike whose particular point of interest is the sources of the springs.

The “Drie Sprengen” hike is 5.5 kilometres long, starts on the outskirts of Ugchelen and follows the sources of three springs. It therefore has both a specific distance and a clearly defined theme. By contrast, the “Hoog Buurlo – Ugchelse Bos” route is described as a longer hiking route. The two descriptions offer different guidance: an exact distance for “Drie Sprengen” and a longer route profile for “Hoog Buurlo – Ugchelse Bos”.

This longer hiking route starts at De Cantharel and follows wide and narrow forest paths, crosses a large, mostly quiet heathland with beautiful long-distance views, and passes through a sand-drift area at the end. The sequence of paths and landscapes gives the tour its own character: forest paths, heathland and sand drifts are all part of its description.

The archaeological hike “op pad met Moerman” also offers a clearly stated point of reference: it starts and ends at the Het Leesten car park, Hoenderloseweg 191, 7339 GG Ugchelen. You can follow the route using the IVN Natuur app. The stated start and finish are therefore at the same place, while the app serves as a guide for the hike.

Springs, water and local history

The landscape on the outskirts of Ugchelen shows how, since the Middle Ages, groundwater and seepage water were channelled to a watermill through dug springs. The springs are therefore directly connected to the use of water. This gives a hike on this theme a historical dimension alongside the views of woodland, heathland or eschland.

The “Langs Beken en Sprengen” route leads from Ugchelen to places that recall the history of Apeldoorn and the neighbouring villages. From the 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century, streams and springs, as well as the watermills situated along them, played a major role in economic activity. Anyone interested in this aspect of local and regional history will find a connection here between the waterways, the mills and their economic importance at the time.

Another historical date relates to paper production: in the mid-19th century, Ugchelen had eleven craft paper mills. Together with the earlier history of channelling water, these details provide two different points of reference in time. So when hiking, you can pay attention not only to the landscape but also to the long history of how it has been used.

Discover more destinations: Beekbergen, Hoog-Soeren, Uddel, Apeldoorn, Loenen, Hoenderloo, Nieuw-Milligen, Beemte Broekland

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