We all know the Netherlands is mostly a huge swamp. This is not too surprising, considering only a few centuries ago large parts of the country were literally underwater. Not exactly the first place that comes to mind for an outdoor trip. However, four years living in Amsterdam taught me that the country has plenty to offer for those wanting to spend the day in nature.
Even though you won’t find humongous mountains, sandy deserts or rainforests, the Netherlands is home to a few unique places where you can spend a quiet weekend kayaking among charming canals, hiking through forests and dunes, and chilling at the beach.
You can find some of my favorite spots below:
Schoorl: Top hiking destination
If you’ve ever played Minecraft, you know the excitement of stumbling upon a new biome you’ve never encountered in the game. This is the feeling you get in Schoorl. Located about one hour by public transport from Amsterdam, this beautiful national park features forests, heathlands and dunes diving into the Atlantic Ocean.
The best part is that you can easily walk through all the landscapes in a single day, provided you spend the day walking. The entrance of the park consists of a huge 51-meter-high dune that you will have to climb to enter the forest and start your journey.
After walking through the woods and heathlands, you will finally reach the dunes and enjoy a swim in the ocean, if the weather allows.
If possible, I would suggest you visit this protected area in the early autumn to make the most of the foliage.
Just outside the park, you will find the tiny village of Schoorl, home to a few supermarkets and restaurants, as well as several Airbnbs where you can stay for the night. The park also has mountain bike trails so that you can spend one weekend day biking and the other hiking through different parts of the park.
Het Twiske: A peaceful day at the beach
Those who prefer to stay close to Amsterdam can opt for a chill day at Het Twiske. This park is a 40-minute bike ride from Amsterdam Centraal train station and is the perfect place to enjoy a day at the beach without going all the way to the ocean.
This large park is home to the Stootersplas lake around which you will find several sandy beaches (including a nudist beach) where you can relax and sunbathe. Of course, swimming in the lake is allowed, and you won’t have to worry about jellyfish and other scary sea creatures.
Het Twiske is also home to the Paviljoen Twiske, where you can have lunch or a simple coffee. Alternatively, you can bring your own food and enjoy a picnic on the grass. The park is fairly large and is home to a playground for kids, a windmill, and several biking routes perfect for beginners.
Groene Hart: Ideal for canoeing and kayaking
Groene Hart is a sparsely populated area characterized by pastures and canals, located between some of the country’s major cities, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Haarlem and Utrecht. This is a great place to go kayaking or canoeing thanks to the many canals and bodies of water in the area. You can find plenty of rental places on Groene Hart’s official website where you can borrow the necessary equipment, with prices starting at under 10 euros per hour.
After a few hours exploring the canals, you can then visit one of the many cute towns located within the Groene Hart. For instance, Gouda, birthplace of the homonymous cheese, and the delicious stroopwafels, or Woerden, famous for the ancient ring canal surrounding its center and its centuries-old castle.
Living in a big city like Amsterdam can sometimes make you forget that there is a whole world out there worth exploring. While the Netherlands may not be known for its stunning nature, these three day trips can help all those in the city, whether expats or tourists eager to get an authentic experience, explore the country beyond its capital and immerse themselves in the underrated Dutch nature.
––––––––––
Read more about Amsterdam here in Dispatches’ archives.
See more from Cristina here.
Cristina Miceli
contributors, and her work has been featured on several publications, including The Cabo Sun,
Bookmundi, SleepingInAirports, and more. Cristina is a huge promoter of slow travelling and
prefers long train rides to quick flights, analogue photography to selfies, and unknown towns to
massive metropolises. When she’s not writing breaking news or reporting her latest adventures, you may find her
drinking way too much tea, reading whatever book she found on the road, or playing her
classical guitar. Cristina has travelled to more than 30 countries on three continents, always slowly. One of her proudest achievements is a trip from Italy all the way to Gambia, avoiding planes.
