National Park De Hoge Veluwe

The Hoge Veluwe is the largest continuous nature reserve in the Netherlands, an area of around five and a half thousand hectares of forest, heath, drifting sand and fenland in the middle of Gelderland. Unlike most national parks it is privately owned, by a foundation, and it was assembled in the early twentieth century by Anton Kröller and his wife Helene Kröller-Müller, who bought the land to create a hunting estate and a setting for their art collection. The park was opened to the public in 1935, and it is still managed in the spirit of their original plan.

The landscape is varied for such a small country. Pine and oak woods give way to open purple heath that flowers in late summer, and in places the wind has piled up large expanses of bare sand, one of the few genuine drift-sand areas in the Netherlands. Pools and wet areas support dragonflies and amphibians, while the open ground suits red deer, roe deer, wild boar and mouflon, a wild sheep that was introduced in the twentieth century. Autumn, when the red deer rut, is a popular time for wildlife watchers, who come at dawn and dusk to hear and see the stags.

The park has its own way of getting around. White bicycles are available at the entrances and can be used free of charge within the park, and it is a pleasure to cycle the long, flat paths through forest and heath. The Jachthuis Sint Hubertus, the hunting lodge designed by the architect Berlage, is an important example of early twentieth-century Dutch design, and Museonder, an underground museum, shows life beneath the soil. Entry is by ticket at the gates, and prices and opening arrangements should be checked before visiting.

The Kröller Müller Museum is the park's best known attraction. It lies in the middle of the woods and holds one of the largest collections of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world, together with works by Mondrian, Seurat and many others, and an excellent sculpture garden where modern pieces stand among trees and lawns. Also within reach are the Celtic Fields, the prehistoric field systems, and the villages of Hoenderloo and Otterlo, which are the usual bases.

The park suits cyclists, walkers, families, art lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. A full day is the best way to see it, and a picnic is a good idea since distances are considerable. Bring layers, as the open heath can be windy, and a map, since the paths are numerous.