Lochum, Landscape County and Ruurlo

A picturesque, idyllic landscape emerges between Ruurlo and Lochum: De Graafschap National Landscape. It is a beautiful small-scale landscape that is characterized by the fairytale vistas in a semi-open area. The interplay of wooded banks, hedges, farms, fields and streams gives the area something exciting. The bocage landscape also has many estates and castles that are typical for the area. At the starting point of the route you can park your car for free and buy something to satisfy your hunger along the way. Attentive SidB Frank Bannink in Barchem has everything you could wish for on a bike ride; from handy drinking bottles to delicious fresh fruit. You cycle via Lochum through National Landscape De Graafschap, until you reach Pinetum de Belten. In 1961, by collecting conifers, a start was made on the current park. Initiator Mr. Feith was looking for trees that would benefit his dry soil. He came across a large number of different conifers. He studied these trees further and gradually developed an immense collection of thousands of different types of conifers, brought together on the Belten estate. The number of different conifers is the largest collection in private hands in the world, it can be called a true living museum! Castle and estate Ruurlo are one of the most special places in the area. The country estate is mentioned as early as 1326 and has been in the hands of the Dutch noble family van Heeckeren since the fifteenth century. The building consists of many different architectural styles because the castle has been built almost constantly over the years and centuries. For example, part of a medieval wall still exists in the basement and almost the entire left side of the castle was built in the sixteenth century. The tower at the back was added a century later. One wall in the tower was given new gable tops in the nineteenth century. For a long time, the castle has been the location for the television series'de Zevensprong\\\'. Today the castle is regularly used as a wedding venue. In Ruurlo there is also a tower mill from 1851: Agneta. The mill was used as a peeling, oil and corn mill and is named after Freule Johanna Mauritia Agneta van Heeckeren van Kell. This name is displayed at the top of the hull of the mill as usual. In 1917 the mill was converted into a saw and flour mill. There is still (electric) sawing in the mill. Agneta has been restored three times over the years in 1975, 1985 and 1994, and the mill is still running quite often. When you come back to Attent SidB Frank Bannink, don't forget to buy ingredients for a delicious meal here. This way you can prepare a nice dinner in your own kitchen and serve it at your own cozy dining table. Now that's a relaxing way to end your day!