Plank jerkin

This route leads through the most famous nature reserve in the Netherlands: De Veluwe. The area is located between Apeldoorn, Wageningen, Arnhem, Ede, Barneveld and Harderwijk. This rural region, full of forests and rolling heaths, is about 1000 square kilometers in size. Large parts of the Veluwe consist of elevations in the landscape that have arisen because glaciers or ice tongues have pushed up the subsurface (moraines). The landscape is broken by various streams and watercourses, but there are also shifting sand areas. This great variation in the environment also ensures diversity in the ecology of the area, which may or may not have arisen naturally in the Veluwe. The wild boar lives between the woods and on the heaths and was released there by people. The population of otters that disappeared in the Netherlands has been reintroduced in the Veluwe and deer can also be found in the woods. The very rare black grouse and raven survive on the heathland and in the trees of the Veluwe. The starting point of the route is the Sonsbeek visitor center in Arnhem. This visitor center provides a good picture of the green environment and is a source of additional information. Also stop at Zijpendaal Castle in Arnhem. This building is not a castle, by the way, because it never had a defensive function and was not built until well after the Middle Ages (in the eighteenth century). Zijpendaal Castle is located on the Zijpendaal estate; a beautifully landscaped park. The main floor of the house can be visited. If desired, you can make a short stop at VVV Otterlo for more information about the area and the sights. A few kilometers further you will find Jachtslot St. Hubertus. The legend of Saint Hubertus served as a guideline for the design. According to legend, a hunter was visited in a vision by a red deer with a shining cross in its antlers. The animal told him that he had to mend his ways or else he would pay in hell. The hunter repented and retired to a monastery. The legend is incorporated in the hunting lodge with a lot of symbolism: the building is designed in an antler shape and the tower contains a cross in the masonry. The entire interior and the utensils are coordinated, resulting in an impressive whole. This castle, located on a beautiful pond, is open almost daily for those interested. Towards the end of the route, we recommend that you stop at De Kruidentuin or the water and windmills, both of which are called'Open Air Museum\\\'. You can get a guided tour in the Herb Garden. Volunteers are happy to tell you all about the special herbs that grow in the garden and on the Veluwe.