The Empese en Tondense Heide is an open area between the Veluwe and the IJssel. Dry and wet heathland alternate with purple moor-grass meadows, wet nutrient-poor grassland and pools. Visitors are welcome: follow walking trails and a boardwalk through flowers and plants, and enjoy sweeping views.
Nature with different ways to explore
Hiemberg also shows the diversity of the landscape in the municipality of Brummen. Fields, pools, small woods and scrub characterise the area, which connects the larger nature areas of Empese en Tondense Heide and Voorstonden. The landscape can be viewed from public roads. Parts of Hiemberg are accessible; walking and horse riding are possible on public paths, but there are no dedicated walking paths or routes. The rare garlic toad lives in the pools.
The municipality’s landscape stretches from the forests of the Veluwe, across an extensive agricultural landscape, to the IJssel. Landgoed Leusveld offers a different impression of nature and landscape: woodland, flower-rich meadows, avenues of old trees and rhododendrons all help define it. The estate is suitable for walking and cycling. Roe deer, badgers and great crested newts live there; sightings are seasonal and not guaranteed.
Country estates and architectural history
Jachthuis Leusveld, a Neo-Renaissance Rijksmonument dating from 1911, stands on Leusveld. The estate lies between Eerbeek and Brummen. The chronology is clear when looking at the area’s architectural history: Huis Voorstonden was built in 1550 on the foundations of an earlier building from the 14th century. The estate includes a house surrounded by a moat, a garden, an orangery and a coach house. Ponds, paths and a wooden footbridge in the park woodland have been restored; access to the estate may be restricted.
A historic church dating from the 12th century stands in the heart of Hall. It is an example of medieval architecture and preserves a long history. Access to the church interior may vary. The municipality offers various kinds of heritage: a hunting lodge on an estate, a historic country house and a church whose history reaches back to the Middle Ages.
Eerbeek and its paper heritage
Eerbeek is known as a paper village and has a 400-year history of paper production. Since the 16th century, streams fed by springs have been developed there for paper mills and laundries. Since then, the paper industry and related businesses have largely shaped the town’s physical and economic development. The public artwork “De Papierschepper” on Stuijvenburchplein commemorates this industrial heritage.
Mills also bring the craft side of this history to life. The Korenmolen in Eerbeek is a stop on the “Mankes en Weber” route and is still in operation. The Eerbeekse Oliemolen on Landgoed Huis te Eerbeek is the only working overshot water-powered oil mill in the Netherlands. If you would like to discover the paper heritage along the way, the “Papier hier in Eerbeek” cycling route offers insights into it.
In Brummen, you can also combine art with a visit to open studios. ART-Brummen opens the studios of participating artists on four weekends each year, once in each season. Visitors can see where the art is created and talk to the artists. Participating studios and dates may change. The ART-Brummen cycling route can also be ridden outside the open-studio weekends; studio visits then usually require an appointment in advance.
Routes on foot, by bike and on the water
For walks, the Veluwe walking trail network in Brummen covers 150 kilometres. One specific option is the NS walk “Uiterwaarden van Cortenoever”: it runs from Brummen station to Zutphen station, along the IJssel and the Berkel. Along the way, you can extend the walk with Staatsbosbeheer’s Laarzenpad, which passes through floodplains, flower-rich meadows, marshes and hedgerows. Access to this trail may vary by season.
The 24-kilometre “Langs de Uiterwaarden” route runs from Brummen along the IJssel floodplains to Cortenoeversbrug, then back to Brummen by the Bronkhorsterveer ferry. The ferry carries pedestrians, cyclists and cars across the IJssel between Brummen and Bronckhorst. Timetables and fares may change; check them before planning your trip. The scope, route lengths and starting arrangements of walking and cycling routes may also be updated.
There is also a named option for longer cycling trips: the MTB Route Veluwezoom starts at Eerbeek station and is 45 to 58 kilometres long. From Eerbeek, you can also walk to Veluwezoom National Park. At the refurbished landing at Hallse Brug, visitors can launch canoes, kayaks or SUP boards onto the Apeldoorns Kanaal. Access and facilities may change; check in advance.
Discover more destinations: Eerbeek, Brummen, Tonden, Hall, Nijmegen, Ermelo, Harderwijk, Duiven.
View the main travel overview: Gelderland.
