From Uddel a visit to the Loo

A rolling heathland, where fens interrupt the landscape. Blowing sand areas and sandy paths. The Elspeetse Heide is a remnant of a gigantic heathland plain that stretched across this part of the Veluwe.

Heath sheep are inextricably linked to this beautiful piece of nature, the animals have traditionally grazed the Elspeetse Heide. Also special about this heathland is the fact that the exceptionally rare Rice Grain Moss can still be found on this piece of nature, which was believed to be extinct for a long time. Rice grain moss occurs in only two other places in the Netherlands. The Elspeetse Heide is also important from an archaeological point of view - the presence of centuries-old burial mounds and old oak coppice groves give the area special value.

Apeldoorn is the largest city on the Veluwe. The city has developed mainly in the past century and has never had city rights. Together with Deventer and Zutphen, Apeldoorn is part of the Stedendriehoek. The city has a beautiful green character due to the many city parks that have been created there. If you look around you, you will notice that there are relatively few high-rise buildings compared to other cities. The Apeldoorn house structure, with many monumental and detached homes, is characteristic of the city where the tax authorities and the Land Registry established their head offices in the 1960s, thus putting Apeldoorn on the map.

Paleis het Loo National Museum is located on the outskirts of Apeldoorn. This former royal residence is located next to a garden designed in a Dutch classical style. French influences can be recognized in the form of a division with box hedges. The palace's balcony, which is accessible on Wednesdays, offers a phenomenal view of the estate. In the palace you get a good impression of how the Oranges who lived in this palace lived. For example, you will see different types of carriages displayed in the stables. There are also regular temporary exhibitions in the palace.

The second attraction you will encounter during your cycle tour is the Wenum Mill. The mill grinds on the Wenumse Beek and the history of a mill on this site dates back to 1313. The mill pond was constructed in the second half of the eighteenth century and the mill was converted into a copper mill during that period. In 1858 it was turned into a flour mill and a run mill was added, which was converted into a cheese factory. However, the current mill building dates from 1917. In 2014, the Wenum water mill only grinds grain for animal feed on a voluntary basis. You can visit the mill on the first Saturday of the month.