The unprecedented tranquility of the Veluwe

It is wonderfully peaceful to cycle in the protected De Veluwe nature park. With an area of more than 91,200 hectares, it will not surprise you that this is the largest lowland site in Europe. The Doornspijkse Heide and De Zanden are areas in this enormous park. The view over the heath is beautiful; you can look far over the lowland area and see the drifting sands gradually coming closer. Tough grass and heath species give the plains color and the Doornspijkse Heide is very special in terms of vegetation. This is the only place in the Netherlands where the Juniper berry still thrives and where nature is able to allow this special plant to grow new growth. Small reptiles, salamanders, lizards but also snakes find their way across the sand. Deer and wild boars search for food in the drought, accompanied by the songs of the blue shrike, the yellowhammer and the bullfinch. They breed in the peace and shelter of the vegetation on the Veluwe. Elburg is a town that originally looked directly onto the Zuiderzee. Because the fishing and trading town regularly flooded, it was decided after the flood of 1367 to move the town. During the rebuilding of Elburg it was turned into a real fortress; the intact canals and the Vischpoort are still a reminder of this. The church in the town is special because it has retained its old location for years, despite the fact that the rest of the town had already been rebuilt. That is also the reason why the Elburg church is located on the edge of this place, instead of in the center as is usual. Then you set course for the De Duif mill in Nunspeet. This belt mill was built in 1886. Before the ground for the construction of this mill was raised, as is the case with belt mills, there were already two other mills on this site: a post mill that was demolished in 1818 and a mill where lightning struck in 1886. It burned down completely, but a week later construction of the current mill began, which was completed within six weeks. Nowadays there is a café at the bottom of the mill. You cycle along the water that separates Flevoland from the mainland and arrive in Elburg. This fishing and trading town originally looked directly out onto the Zuiderzee. In the battle against the water, it was decided after the flood of 1367 to move Elburg. During the reconstruction it was turned into a real fortified town; the intact canals and the Vischpoort are still a reminder of this. The church in the town is special, because it has retained its old location for years, despite the fact that the rest of Elburg had already been rebuilt. That is also the reason why the Elburg church is on the edge of this place, instead of in the center. The Old Putten estate in Elburg has been in the possession of the Rambonnet family since 1878, but the castle was first mentioned many centuries earlier, in 1186. In 1482, the castle was completely destroyed by the residents of Elburg, who were loyal supporters of the Bishop of Utrecht. The current country estate, a historic house with coach house and gate house, was built on the foundations of that castle. The seventeen hectares of land are surrounded by a beautiful canal. Old Putten is included as a "Protected Historical Country Estate" on the list of National Monuments. The beautiful Schouwenburg House is also worth a look. The name Schouwenburg already appeared at the beginning of the fourteenth century, but nothing indicates the existence of the current country estate. Over the centuries, the complex, which was built in the eighteenth century, was significantly changed by the residents. Parts were added to existing buildings, new outbuildings were constructed, but the moat was also moved. With the construction of a wash house around 1930, all major changes on the estate came to an end. The next sight on the route is Zwaluwenburg, an estate on which a small castle stands that is now privately inhabited. The area outside the canal belongs to a foundation and the first mention of Zwaluwenburg dates back to 1326. However, the current house was only built in 1728 and occupies a dominant position on the plot of land.