At Wekeromse Zand, nature watching and traces of earlier settlement lie side by side as two distinct aspects of a landscape experience. The 500-hectare sandy area is maintained by free-roaming mouflons. Several marked walking trails cross the area; with patience and luck, you can spot deer, foxes or badgers from the freely accessible wildlife-watching hide.
Heathland, Sand and Wildlife
De Ginkel also features a variety of landscapes: woodland, pools and the extensive heathland of Eder Heide and Ginkelse Heide are all part of the area. It is home to red deer, wild boar, sheep and roe deer. The Edese Schaapskudde keeps the heathland open by grazing it, preventing trees and shrubs from overgrowing the landscape.
If you are interested in guided nature walks, regular tours with educational foresters take place at Wekeromse Zand. Dates may change, so check the current schedule before making plans. A special access rule applies to the De Hindekamp wildlife hide: it is accessible only when accompanied by a guide from Natuurcentrum De Ginkel. Check this requirement before your visit.
Traces from the Iron Age
Postholes from Iron Age farmhouses have been found at Wekeromse Zand. Based on this pattern, a farmhouse and a spieker have been reconstructed there—a spieker is a storage shed. At one location, you can therefore encounter both archaeological traces and buildings designed on the basis of these finds. An observation platform at the reconstructed Iron Age farmhouse offers views of the surrounding area.
The approximately 2.5-kilometre-long Celtic Fields Route passes a field with Germanic farming plots and a well. It combines a manageable stated distance with specific insights into how the landscape was used in the past. The route is considerably shorter than the 8-kilometre Planken Wambuis walking route—a useful distinction when planning the length of your walk.
Walking Trails and Varied Landscapes
Planken Wambuis crosses heathland, shifting sands, grassland, farmland and woodland. The area also has a wildlife-watching screen and several viewpoints from which you can observe grazing animals and wildlife. If you would rather explore the landscape another way, you can also experience Planken Wambuis in a huifkar, a horse-drawn wagon; availability for bookings may change.
There are five marked walking trails in the Luntersche Buurtbosch and around the Goudsberg. The Meulunterenpad leads through the countryside around Lunteren: along sandy tracks, through meadows, beside streams and across old farmland. At Broeksteeg, it follows an old church path, one of many such paths in Lunteren. Access points are at Lunteren railway station and at the junction of Vijfsprongweg and Hoge Valksedijk in De Valk, by the Iron Age farmhouse. As access arrangements may change, check the route details before setting out.
There are also ways to plan your own walks: in Ede, you can choose a route using the numbered junction network and decide its length yourself. Het Nationale Park De Hoge Veluwe also has 45 kilometres of bridleway. The options described therefore range from marked walks and self-planned routes to trails for horse riding.
Museums and Places of Remembrance
The museums cover a variety of subjects. The permanent exhibition at Museum Lunteren presents the history of Lunteren. Its collection includes numerous photographs and postcards about the town, as well as other objects displayed in changing exhibitions. The Kijk en Luistermuseum focuses on mechanical musical instruments from the 19th century. During guided tours, a guide demonstrates several instruments; the museum also displays a working Amabile harmonium. Only three working examples of this harmonium remain worldwide.
Museum Deelen presents a collection about the history of the nearby Deelen airfield and gives extensive attention to the air war from 1940 to 1945. Military history is also the subject of Oorlogs- en Garnizoensmuseum Ede, which covers the Ede garrison and Ede during the Second World War. On Ginkelse Heide, the Airborne Monument commemorates the British paratroopers' landings on 17 and 18 September 1944.
Other collections offer different perspectives on art and design: the Kröller-Müller Museum holds a significant collection of works by Vincent van Gogh; its sculpture garden features more than 160 sculptures, although the display may change. The Nederlands Tegelmuseum showcases Dutch wall tiles and tile pictures from the late medieval period to contemporary ceramics. So your choice of subjects depends not only on whether you are interested in nature or history, but also on which collection you would like to explore in more depth.
Getting There and Planning Your Trip
Ede is in Gelderland, centrally located in the Netherlands, and is easily reached by car via the A12 or A30. Bus route 106 runs between Ede and the centre of Het Nationale Park De Hoge Veluwe. It also stops at the Otterlo entrance and the Kröller-Müller Museum. If you plan to use the bus, check the current timetable before travelling.
Discover more destinations: Harskamp, Lunteren, Otterlo, Ede, Bennekom, Wekerom, Ederveen, Doesburg.
See the main travel overview: Gelderland.
