Most beautiful walking routes in the Netherlands

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Mooiste wandelroutes in Nederland

In spring, the leaves come back to the trees and nature takes on beautiful spring colors. It's the perfect time for nature walks. The Netherlands boasts many beautiful nature reserves with fantastic hiking trails. To help you choose a route, we've compiled a list of our favorites. We've selected four walks in total, spread throughout the Netherlands. These walks are located in Gelderland, North Brabant, Utrecht, and North Holland. Interested in hiking these routes yourself? All the routes are available in the Komoot app, making it easy to follow them. When selecting the hiking routes, we focused primarily on the surrounding area and nature.

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#1 Most beautiful walking route in North Holland: Amsterdamse Bos

Do you want to quickly escape the hustle and bustle of your city or village? Then dive into the Amsterdamse Bos. The Amsterdamse Bos is located south of Amsterdam near Amstelveen. The Amsterdamse Bos is easily accessible by public transport, as several bus lines run past the various entrances to the forest.

The route in the Amsterdamse Bos is characterized by the various ponds and canals. During the route you will walk over several bridges to cross the water. There are a total of 116 bridges in the Amsterdamse Bos. Every bridge has a different design. The bridges are also fun to take photos of. For example, you have the very unique ball chain bridge.

The route is 10 km in total and can therefore easily be walked in a few hours. The paths in the forest are very accessible, making it ideal for a walk with the whole family. Would you like to eat or drink something in between? There are more than enough nice cafes.

In short: if you want to quickly get into nature from the city and don't want to spend too long on the road, then the Amsterdamse Bos is an excellent option for a nice walk.

View route on Komoot

#2 Most beautiful walking route in Utrecht: Amerongse Berg

One of the most beautiful nature reserves is and remains the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. This is a very large nature reserve with hundreds of beautiful hiking trails. The route we have chosen is a walk around the Amerongse Berg. The route is easily accessible by car. You can simply park at the entrance of the nature reserve.

The route around the Amerongse Berg is hilly. You will have to climb 3 small climbs during this route. The unique combination of beautiful hills with forests creates a radiant image. During the walk you will also come across several beautiful points, such as an old tobacco barn or a Monument of the Battle of Waterloo. You will also pass a viewpoint over the Lower Rhine.

The walk is a total of 14 km long, but due to the hilly terrain it may take a little longer than expected. If 14 km is too long, there is always the option to skip a number of loops of the walking route. There are also several places along the route where you can sit and get something to drink.

The combination of river with hills is a rare composition that you do not often encounter in the Netherlands and that is why this walk is highly recommended.

View route on Komoot

Tip: make sure your smartphone is fully charged when you go out with a walking app. Or bring a power bank!

Bonusroute: De Dutch Mountain Trail

Wil je jezelf echt uitdagen? Dan is de Dutch Mountain Trail de perfecte route voor jou. Deze route is in totaal 100 km lang en heeft 2000 hoogtemeters. Deze wandeling wordt ook wel de Seven Summits van Nederland genoemd.

#3 Most beautiful walking route in Gelderland: Berg en Dal

There are several beautiful routes for walking in the hilly area around Nijmegen. The route we liked best is a hilly walking route around Berg en Dal. In this walking route there are hills up to 90m high. The walking route is easily accessible by car. The route starts at a parking lot.

It is a hilly route with several viewpoints to take beautiful photos. There are several short climbs in this route, making it a good test of your fitness. However, the climbs are always worth the view. The route is a total of 13.5 km long with an elevation gain of 210 metres. Due to the amount of elevation gain, this route can sometimes take up to 4 hours to hike. The beautiful dense forests in this nature reserve provide a combination of hills and forest that you cannot find anywhere else in this way.

It is also possible to shorten the route if necessary. There are several loops of the route that can easily be cut off. Please note: the route can sometimes become very steep, making this a less suitable route for strollers or people with reduced mobility. But if you are looking for a fun challenge with fantastic views as a reward, this route is definitely recommended for you.

View route on Komoot

#4 Most beautiful walking route in North Brabant: Loonse and Drunense Duinen

The Loonse and Drunense Dunes are among the most unique nature reserves in the Netherlands. It is one of the largest drifting sand plains in Western Europe. This route basically starts at the Bosch & Duin café. You can also choose to pick up the route at other places, such as the 3 lime trees near Drunen, the Roestelberg near Kaatsheuvel or at the Rustende Jager near Biezenmortel.

The route goes around the entire Loonse and Drunense Duinen, making it a fairly long route, namely 17 km in total. This route can sometimes take up to 5 hours.

Due to the amount of loose sand, the route is also more difficult than expected. When you are walking across the dune plains, you can sink quite deep into the sand, which can be very tiring in the long run. The route is also less easy to cut, because it goes around the entire nature reserve. If you realize halfway through that it is too much, you can still cut the route, but after that it is not of much use. You will not find the large sand plains on this scale anywhere else in the Netherlands. That is why it also offers a unique opportunity to take beautiful photos of this beautiful phenomenon.

If you are not afraid of a little sand in your shoes, this walk in the Loonse and Drunense Dunes is highly recommended.


View route on Komoot

Do you want to record your hiking adventures with a smartphone or (action) camera? Then take a look at our photo and video accessories that can help you take the most beautiful images while walking.

If you have any questions about the routes or our products, please contact our customer service.

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