Dutch nature you must have seen!
National Park Veluwezoom is one of the oldest and most beautiful nature reserves in the Netherlands, with rich biodiversity and a varied landscape. Here are five of the most spectacular facts about this special park:
#5 The mysterious Ice Cellar of Beekhuizen
Fact:
The park is home to the old Beekhuizen Ice Cellar, an underground storage facility used in the 19th century to store ice in the winter. This ice was then used in the summer to keep food cool. Today, the ice cellar is a resting place for bats, which hibernate there. The combination of history and nature makes this place extra special and mysterious. Location:
The Beekhuizen Ice Cellar is located near Velp, on the grounds of the old Beekhuizen Estate.
Example of an ice cellar
#4 Veluwezoom is a “dark sky” area
Fact:
Much of National Park Veluwezoom is one of the few “dark sky” areas in the Netherlands. This means that there is hardly any light pollution, which makes for spectacular starry skies when the weather is clear. Stargazers and nature lovers gather here to enjoy the night sky dotted with stars, something you can experience in few other places in the Netherlands. Location:
The open moorlands around the Posbank and the Unsung Woods are the best spots
#3 Special flora and fauna
Fact:
In addition to wildlife, Veluwezoom is home to an array of special plants and rare insects. The park is one of the few places in the Netherlands where you can spot the crane, as well as rare butterflies such as the heathland blues. Also growing on the dry sandy soil are heather, juniper bushes and special lichens, which are unique to this part of the Netherlands. Location:
Especially in the heathlands such as the Posbank and the Rheder- and Worth-Rhederheide you will find a lot of the rare flora and fauna.
#2 The oldest national park in the Netherlands
Description:
National Park Veluwezoom, established in 1930, is the oldest national park in the Netherlands. It was protected by Natuurmonumenten to preserve its special nature and has since become an iconic nature reserve with a rich history. This makes it a pioneer in nature conservation in the Netherlands.
#1 Large population of wildlife
Description:
Veluwezoom is one of the few places in the Netherlands where you can see a great diversity of wildlife, including red deer, wild boar, roe deer, foxes and Scottish highlanders. Chances are that you will encounter one of these animals during a walk. Especially the red deer’s rutting season is a spectacular natural spectacle that attracts many nature lovers. And to top it off, since a few years the wolf has been spotted again on the Veluwe, of which Veluwezoom is an important part. The wolf returned to the Netherlands from Germany and settled in the Veluwe from about 2018. This area is ideal for wolves because of its vast forests, moorlands and abundance of wildlife such as red deer, roe deer and wild boar, which serve as prey. In 2019, it was officially confirmed that a wolf pair had settled on the Veluwe, and wolf cubs have since been born. Although the wolf is a shy animal and usually shuns humans, it is occasionally spotted through cameras or by tracks found. For visitors to Veluwezoom National Park, the chances of seeing a wolf are still slim, as wolves are very shy and active mainly at night. Nevertheless, their presence is a sign of the park’s healthy ecosystem. In short on the Veluwezoom we have our own Big Five!
In short, these ‘Weetjes’ make the experience in National Park Veluwezoom even more special and therefore offer you plenty of opportunities to explore the diversity of the park! Go for it!
