De Hoge Veluwe National Park is perhaps the most famous Dutch national park, located in the central Netherlands. A rugged landscape of heath, hills, forests, sand drifts, and some farmland as well, The Hoge Veluwe National Park is definitely one of the more unusual and notable national parks in the entire country. But why is it so special? Read on, for our in-depth guide to De Hoge Veluwe National Park!
TRIVIA:
❒ Official name: De Hoge Veluwe National Park (Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe)
❒ Established: 1935
❒ Size: 5400 ha
❒ Location: Gelderland
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About De Hoge Veluwe National Park
De Hoge Veluwe National Park is located in Gelderland province, in the eastern/central Netherlands. It’s part of the larger Veluwe nature reservation, the largest continuous heathland in western Europe at over 1000 square kilometres. De Hoge Veluwe itself is around 55 square kilometres and is located very close to Veluwezoom National Park. Both parks are just near the cities of Arnhem and Apeldoorn, while De Hoge Veluwe is bordered by several villages including Otterlo, Hoenderloo, and Harskamp.
Humans have lived in the area for thousands of years, though the area reached its highest population during the Middle Ages when farming and forestry was at its most intensive. As the trees were cut down, soil quality suffered, and much of the land became unusable. The area of the modern national park was purchased for a hunting lodge in the early 20th century by Helene Müller and Anton Kröller, a wealthy couple from Rotterdam. Helene was an avid art collector, and founded a museum to store and display her enormous and expanding collection of modern art. Since her death in 1939 (and the subsequent end of World War 2), the museum has been open to the public.
Unlike other national parks in the Netherlands, De Hoge Veluwe National Park requires paid tickets for entry. Fences have been (controversially) erected around the perimeter, and entrance to the park is only through three gates: one in the north-east at Hoenderloo, another in the north-west at Otterlo, and a third gate in the south at Schaarsbergen. The park is open every day between 9am and 6pm, and as of January 2022, entry tickets are €11,30 for adults, €5,65 for children aged 6-13.
How to get to De Hoge Veluwe National Park
Getting to De Hoge Veluwe National Park is straightforward by car or public transport. If you’re driving, the park lies between Arnhem, Apeldoorn, and Ede and is accessible via the A1, A12, and A50. There are three main entrances – Hoenderloo, Otterlo, and Schaarsbergen – all with parking facilities.
By public transport, take a train to Ede-Wageningen Station or Arnhem Centraal. From there, buses connect to the park entrances, with Otterlo (from Ede-Wageningen) and Schaarsbergen (from Arnhem) being the most direct routes.
Pro tip: Buy your train tickets online with the Dutch Railways (NS) for hassle-free travel. On the website of NS you can also check for any discounts.
Tip: Read this post about using the public transport in the Netherlands. It’s packed with tips that only a local knows!
Facilities in De Hoge Veluwe National Park
The main visitor’s centre in De Hoge Veluwe National Park is De Aanschouw Visitor’s Centre, located in the centre of the park. It includes an underground museum about the park itself, known as the Museonder, focusing on the park’s geology and history. For an impressive centrepiece, be sure to check out the incredible 135-year-old tree root system suspended in the foyer! In this same area you’ll also find several restaurants and cafes, information booths, and shops selling useful items like maps, binoculars, souvenirs, and birdwatching guides.
Things to do at De Hoge Veluwe National Park
There’s a fantastic range of interesting things to do at De Hoge Veluwe National Park, most of which you wouldn’t find in a typical national park! Let’s check out some of the highlights.
1. Visit the Kröller-Müller Museum
The Kröller-Müller Museum is definitely the highlight of De Hoge Veluwe National Park, and showcases Helene Kröller-Müller’s collection of contemporary art. There’s a surprising number of works here, including by some of the world’s most famous artists including an extensive collection of Vincent van Gogh masterpieces, plus works by Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Auguste Renoir, Georges Seurat, and many others.
The building itself is also quite interesting, with a fascinating 1930s modernist design by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde. A further wing was added in the 1970s by Dutch architect Win Quist. The museum building was originally constructed as a hunting lodge and never intended to serve as a museum (indeed, a large “museum” building known as Groote Museum was commenced nearby, but never completed).
Note that to visit the museum, you need to purchase a time-slot ticket in advance, along with your entry ticket for the national park.
2. Visit the Sculpture Park
The Kröller-Müller Museum also includes one of Europe’s largest and most highly regarded sculpture parks, built up over the surrounding area. The sculpture park sprawls over an impressive 25 hectares (2.5 square kilometres) and features works from some of the world’s best-known sculptors including Auguste Rodin, Jean Dubuffet, Henry Moore, and Joep van Lieshout among others. With over 160 works spread around the Park, appreciating them all will keep you busy for quite a while! Be sure not to miss the two pavilions as well, one designed by Gerrit Rietveld and the other by Aldo van Eyck.
3. Admire Hunting Lodge Saint-Hubert
Towards the northern end of the park is Saint-Hubert Hunting Lodge (Jachthuis Sint Hubertus), a large country manor house from the early 20th century that was designed and built as the Kröller-Müller’s main residence. Inspired by aristocratic English country houses, the lodge was designed by renowned architect Hendrikus Berlage and completed in 1920. Interestingly, architect Berlage was given an enormous degree of creative freedom, and designed everything related to the house himself, including the surrounding landscape, the internal fixtures, furnishings, and even the colour schemes.
Tours of the house are available (and highly recommended!) but must be booked in advance via the website. Although the tours are only conducted in Dutch, audio guides are available in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Japanese.
4. Go Birdwatching
De Hoge Veluwe National Park is one of the best birdwatching areas in all the Netherlands, with over a hundred species of breeding birds nesting in the area. Highlights include the black woodpecker, and the nightjar, both of which require a little patience to find! There are multiple birdwatching hides scattered around the park, and many of them are located quite close to the entrance gates for easy access.
5. Hiking and Cycling
Unlike many national parks in the Netherlands, De Hoge Veluwe National Park is largely off-limits to cars, so the best way to explore the park is either on foot or on a bike. The best option is to borrow one of the White Bikes, free hire bikes that are available at multiple locations around the park (including the entrance gates, and the museum). White Bikes can’t be locked up or removed from the park but should be readily available in most areas.
There’s also lots of fantastic walking and hiking trails around De Hoge Veluwe National Park, many starting near each of the entrance gates, and covering off many of the highlights. Maps are available for €2,50 at each entrance, though some of the best routes include the 4.1-kilometre Landscape Path, the Experience Route, and the Berlage Path.
Final words
Overall, De Hoge Veluwe is one of the more interesting national parks in the Netherlands! Although it’s definitely home to beautiful landscapes and appealing vistas, it’s unusual for a national park’s main attractions to be artworks, sculpture, and architecture! But it’s well worth the visit whenever you’re in Gelderland province.
