Harderwijk is the perfect starting point for any walk. From the town, you can easily head out into the countryside, towards woods, sandy plains and quiet paths. Every route offers a new landscape and a different pace. And at the end, the town is always there waiting to welcome you back home.
Where the Veluwe whispers and Harderwijk calls out.
From the city into the countryside
Harderwijk is a lovely place to get out and about. From the town centre, you’re out in the open in no time. Just follow the water’s edge of the Wolderwijd and then head out of town, towards the countryside. It really is second nature.
You’ll soon find all sorts of lovely routes in the surrounding area. Narrow paths wind their way past fields, hedgerows and the edges of woods. The clog paths, such as the Sonnevanckpad and the Uddelermeerpad, let you experience the landscape up close. Routes like the Speuldepad and the Heyrderpad take you to peaceful spots where the pace is a bit slower. Every route is different, but they all have one thing in common: you really get away from it all.
Walking across vast sandy plains
If you walk on a little further, you’ll notice just how varied the area is. The woods give way to open plains at Beekhuizerzand and Hulshorsterzand, where wind and sand shape the landscape. A little further on, around Het Rode Koper, trails begin that take you deeper into the Veluwe, past avenues and old country estates.
Great places for a quick stop
Along the way, there’s always a moment to pause for a while. Whether it’s for a nice glass of beer or a break at De Witte Pauw Brewery, a relaxed lunch at Restaurant Staverden, or a spot where walkers naturally gather, such as De Zwarte Boer and Boshuis Drie.
Why not enjoy a stroll along the clog paths in Harderwijk?
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Pelserpad
Discover the beautiful countrysideIn the polder landscape to the west of Ermelo, the Horstsche Beek separates the hamlets of Horst and Telgt. The path takes you past maize fields and a vineyard towards the ’s Heeren Loo estate and residential care complex, which is a village in its own right. At the Schaapsdijkbeekje, the countryside stretches out invitingly as far as the Zeeweg. Beyond Telgt, the path winds through the Groenewoud estate, which has been landscaped by the residents based on historical records. Hedgerows have been restored and coppiced woods replanted. However, they no longer provide firewood. These days, tool handles and fence posts are sourced from garden centres. The Zeeburg farmstead is a reminder of the time when the Zuiderzee coast was not far away.
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Sonnevanck Path
From sanatorium to sand driftThe winding route through the heathland reclamation landscape to the east of Harderwijk largely circles the former Sonnevanck sanatorium site. At the start of the last century, tuberculosis patients came here to convalesce in the healthy woodland air. Scattered across the grounds were semi-open wooden convalescent wards. Today, the site is home to a variety of buildings, both old and new. The path runs through a water extraction area – featuring a water tower on the Galgenberg – towards the Beekhuizerzand sand drift. This is a unique habitat where rare animals can be found, such as the sand lizard and the nightjar. Taking a long loop past the old agricultural enclave of Hoeve Beekhuizen and through the gently rolling Harderwijkerbos, you walk back to Sonnevanck.
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Heard the pad
Take a walk past castles and streamsThis path winds its way through the countryside around Hierden, following old roads and streams. From Essenburgh Castle, you follow a section of the Hierdense Beek towards the Hulshorst estate. The Zilverbeek, which runs through the woods like a gutter, then leads you through the Kampen countryside past Hulshorst Station, immortalised in verse by the poet Gerrit Achterberg. After following the stream once more, the path takes a sharp bend towards the hamlet of De Biest and along the country lanes of the Hoge Enk. Once through the village centre, the expanse of the Veluwemeer shoreline opens up. Here, the open landscape still exudes the atmosphere of the former Zuiderzee.
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Speulde Path
Speulde PathDiscover the hamlets of Staverden, Leuvenum and Speuld in the beautiful countryside of the municipality of Ermelo. Walk through country estates, alongside streams and across heathland. Experience the mystical atmosphere of calling peacocks and dancing trees. From the Staverden estate and castle, follow the stream of the same name downstream; further on, it is known as the Leuvenumse Beek and forms part of the Hierden stream system. Through the woods and across the heath, the route leads to the Speulderbos, one of the oldest deciduous forests in the Netherlands, where gnarled beech and oak trees always seem to be performing a little dance. Past burial mounds and across the Speulderveld, you’ll be guided back to the valley of the Staverdense Beek. Put on your clogs, grab your rucksack and off you go!
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All clog trails
And you can find them all hereThere are many more clog-walking routes around Harderwijk, taking in all the beautiful woodland areas and local monuments.
Round off the day in the city
And then, after hours spent outdoors, everything returns to where it all began. To Harderwijk. Where you round off the day just as it was meant to be. With the feeling that you’ve gone further than you thought, but have come back to exactly the right place.
