For a stay in Tonden, the landscape and routes offer practical pointers. The 16-kilometre Stationswandeling runs mostly through Tonden; a cycling route returns to Tonden and heads west through the Empese en Tondense Heide. The area also features the Hiemberg nature area and the historic Mestweg. The options described vary in route type and landscape: for the hiking route, the distance and surface are specified, while the cycling tour focuses on returning to Tonden and the landscape views. To plan your trip, you can first decide whether hiking, cycling, or the landscape itself will be your main focus.

Heathland and Historic Landscape

The Empese en Tondense Heide is a vast, open area with dry and wet heathland, Nardus grassland, wet nutrient-poor grassland, and pools. The distinctions between dry and wet heathland and the different types of grassland give the area a varied landscape. The Mestweg adds a historical dimension to this natural setting: the raised track was once used to transport manure and sods cut from the heath. This links today’s description of the landscape to a specific reference to its former use.

Hiking in Tonden

Hiemberg is a nature area between Hoevesteeg and Haarweg in Tonden. It includes fields, pools, small patches of woodland, and scrub. Compared with the open heathland, it offers a different landscape: in Hiemberg, fields, water features, and smaller wooded areas take centre stage. This distinction can help you shape the nature-focused part of your stay around the type of landscape you prefer. Hiking is possible on public roads in the area.

Another option is the 16-kilometre Stationswandeling, which runs mostly through Tonden. It follows paved roads for some sections and wide and narrow sandy paths for others. This gives you a named hiking route with a set distance and a variety of surfaces, alongside the option of hiking on public roads in Hiemberg. These offer different points of reference for planning your day: the Stationswandeling has a specified distance and described surfaces, while Hiemberg offers the opportunity to hike in a nature area.

Cycling Through the Heathland

The cycling route “Een route door het Gelderse landschap rond Tonden” returns to Tonden and runs west through the Empese en Tondense Heide. It offers views across heathland, marshland, woodland, and grassland. The cycling tour is thus characterised by its return to Tonden and its changing landscapes. If you are deciding between hiking and cycling, the Stationswandeling has a specified distance and described surfaces, while the cycling route focuses on its heathland section and views of other landscape types.

In a vision dated 26 November 2025, a local environmental association describes a significant part of Tonden as belonging to the Landgoederen Brummen Natura 2000 area.

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