Hoge Veluwe Express Tour

You arrive in a city where river, bridges and parks all sit close together. After the journey there is time to slow down: check in, drop your bag and feel out the neighbourhood. A short wander through the centre or along the Rhine already loosens legs and mind. It is that pleasant in between moment, no real plans yet, but the promise of forest and heath just up the hill.

If you fancy a first stretch, head towards Sonsbeek Park and the White Watermill. Streams, ponds and tall trees give a quick preview of the rolling landscape outside town. The mill works as both café and information point, so you can pick up a drink and some inspiration. Then it is an easy stroll back through the park, letting the last travel stress slip away.

Back at your accommodation you unpack at your own pace and lay out tomorrow’s gear. Dinner can be something simple in a side street or a relaxed meal on a terrace. With the window on a crack you hear the city hum softening while you scan the route. It already feels like you are on the way, even though the real walking starts tomorrow.

From the river city the route quickly trades stone for green, climbing out through parks, suburbs and finally the forests of the national park. A gentle rise carries you past war history, quiet avenues and wide heath onto the sandy plateau of the Hoge Veluwe. Views open over dunes and purple heather while benches hide in small patches of shade. The last stretch through woodland and past scattered houses leads to a relaxed village between the trees.

From the centre you head for Sonsbeek Park and the White Watermill, following shady paths along streams and ponds. Gradually the city slips away and you continue on quieter roads and tracks to the Arnhem War Museum, where Operation Market Garden is still very present. Beyond this point woodland takes over, guiding you along a scenic path into the Hoge Veluwe National Park.

Inside the park you wander between forest, open heath and sandy dunes, passing viewpoints over the plains and a bench with a wide look across the heathland. A section of drifting sand gives the feeling of walking through a small desert. Later the route leaves the park and follows calmer lanes toward a village known for the Heldring well. Here you find your accommodation tucked between trees, cafés and holiday houses.