Tour around Laren

Around Lochem, near Laren, the National Landscape De Graafschap extends. 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 coulisse landscape also has many estates and castles that are typical for the area and the forests near the Ampsense Veld are full of beautiful coniferous and deciduous trees, bordering an extensive heathland. In this beautiful, quiet nature reserve live deer, mouflons and wild sheep, among other things. Arm yourself against mosquitoes, especially if the weather has been nice for a few days, there are many to be found through the damp heathland. The route starts at Landhotel De Hoofdige Boer. Landhotel De Hoofdige Boer is located in an authentic nineteenth-century building, in the middle of the village next to the church. Yet the charming hotel is surrounded by lots of greenery: at the front there is a beautiful tea garden and at the back there are meadows and the Berkel valley. It is the ideal place to relax, so book an overnight stay at the hotel and make use of our cycling package. Route 121356 also starts and ends at the hotel. From the hotel it is not far to cycle to the Museum Oude Boekdrukkunst. Here you can see how the art of printing has developed over the years. Take a journey through time in this beautiful museum before cycling on to the Dorth estate. The estate and former Dorth castle are located on the Dortherbeek. The oldest mention dates from 1311, when the land was still owned by the Van Heeckeren family. Because part of the Van Heeckeren branch started calling themselves Van Dorth, fights arose that caused a lot of damage to the house. In 1833 the castle was demolished and a country house was built on the same site, which was demolished again in 1927. The house made way for the stately country house that still dominates the estate. Another magnificent building is Huis Verwolde, which stands on the estate of the same name. The earliest mention of the castle dates back to 1346. Around 1500, the castle became involved in a political struggle and was conquered in 1505 by Duke Charles of Gelre, who had it thoroughly fortified. In 1510, the castle was captured by an enemy and demolished. Later, the current castle was rebuilt in a simple form. The castle is open to the public and serves as a museum. The history of Huis Ampsen dates back to 1105. The first castle and both houses on the estate were destroyed by the Spanish in 1605. The current house was rebuilt in the first half of the seventeenth century. A wing was added to the right side over time, giving the building a U-shape. The castle and the estate are privately owned and not accessible. After returning to Landhotel De Hoofdige Boer, you can enjoy the sun on the terrace or have a delicious dinner in the restaurant to end the day nicely. Afterwards, you can retreat to your hotel room, take a nice warm shower and rest in the freshly made bed for the bike ride of the next day.