Arnhem, Ede and Renkum

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 heathlands, is approximately 1000 square kilometers in size. Large parts of the Veluwe consist of elevations in the landscape that were created by glaciers or ice tongues that pushed the subsoil up (moraines). You cycle across the Ginkelse heath, passing various cultural-historical places in the Veluwe. Castles, estates and stately buildings go hand in hand with nature in a rolling, rural region. Special plants and animals thrive in the forests, heathlands, streams and watercourses and drifting sand areas. You can park your car for free in the parking lot and enjoy the beautiful nature for 23 kilometers. Continuing the tour, you will pass historic castles and water mills. This way you can admire M8: Doorwerth Castle. The castle that shares its name with the neighboring village of Doorwerth, built in the twelfth century and in 1260 the castle was besieged and burned. The Museum Veluwezoom and the nature and hunting museum are located in this castle. The castle was restored in 2004 and can be visited at certain times. In the courtyard of the castle is the oldest robinia in the Netherlands, which was planted in 1579. The church that you then find (M9: Oude Kerk) is about 1000 years old and is therefore one of the oldest still existing churches in the Netherlands. The rectangular nave is built of tuff stone and on the north side there is a beautiful Romanesque portal with archivolts. The church was originally a hall church but was expanded in 1856. After serious damage in the Second World War, the church was completely restored. The building has now been awarded National Monument status, but the old church is still used weekly. The Witte Watermolen is a flour mill built around 1470. Originally there were several watermills along the Witte Watermolen, but this is the only preserved operational mill. The white mill was restored in 1966 with three pairs of millstones. A professional miller puts the mill into operation several times a week. The last beautiful sight is the Bagijnemolen / St. Agnietenmolen. This upper water mill was used as a flour mill and dates from 1404. Between 1913 and 1967 the water mill lost its mill function and a trout farm was established there. After this, the mill served as a restaurant and party center. Since the autumn of 2008, rot has been discovered in the mill. As a result, the historic building is no longer able to rotate.