Walking in the Achterhoek is great fun. This region in the east of Gelderland is bursting with beautiful hiking trails and nature reserves. During my stay in Winterswijk I was able to discover many beautiful walks in the Achterhoek. If you are looking for tips for walking in the Achterhoek, be sure to read on for more information about the most beautiful nature reserves and walks in the Achterhoek.

Information about walking in the Achterhoek

Because more and more people are coming to walk in the Achterhoek, an extensive walking network has been set up in this region. Spread across the entire Achterhoek you will find about 150 starting points for a walk. You can recognize the starting points by a sign with information showing the route. If you come across a red sign while following a walking route, you can switch here to another walking route. Pay attention to the letter and number on the sign: you will find this on the walking map and so you know exactly which walk you have switched to. These walking maps can be purchased at the tourist information offices in the Achterhoek and other tourist information points.

Korenburgerveen

My favorite nature reserve for walking is by far the Korenburgerveen. Korenburgerveen is a protected nature reserve near Winterswijk. It was created by excavations that took place since the 14th century. In the meantime, there is no more digging and rare peat moss is growing, of which only 100 hectares are left in the Netherlands. In Korenburgerveen, we are working hard on protection so that the peat moss can recover.

Walking in Korenburgerveen is wonderfully varied. Due to the vulnerability of the area, you are not allowed to leave the paths and even if you wanted to, this is often not possible. The peat soil is very swampy in most places, so you can't really walk on it. That is why there is also a boardwalk in some parts. On the parts where you do not walk on the wooden path, there is a good chance that you will have to go through the mud. So it is smart to wear higher walking shoes or even boots. The walks through the Korenburgerveen take you past peat land, forests and meadows and the bird hide is really one of the highlights of the area. If you are staying near the bog, it is recommended to go here at sunset for a beautiful view of the area. A route of 12 kilometers and two routes of 5 kilometers through Korenburgerveen can be found on the Natuurmonumenten website.

Familiarity

Bekendelle is one of the few swamp forests and primeval forests in the Netherlands. That is why it has the protected Natura 2000 status. This means that the animals and plants in the forest are protected. We heard from local people that Bekendelle is one of the nicest places to walk in the Achterhoek. After my visit to this forest I can only confirm: what a beautiful nature reserve this is. We simply parked the car along the edge of the forest and started walking. That works fine, as long as you mark where the car is on Google Maps. If you prefer to walk via a route, there is a beautiful walk of 7.3 kilometers. This circular walk starts at Camping Vreehorst or Restaurant Berenschot's Watermolen. From here you can easily follow the signs with purple footsteps.

Wooldse Veen

Just like Bekendelle, the Wooldse Veen has also been designated as a Natura 2000 area. 65 hectares of raised bog area is strictly protected, so that nature can recover. Currently (May 2021) the area is closed due to the pandemic. When I stood in front of the closed gate, I was of course disappointed, but I understand it very well for nature. An area that is still so vulnerable needs to be well protected and that is simply not possible if it becomes too busy. If you are in the Achterhoek after the pandemic, I would definitely visit the Wooldse Veen. Countless rare plants and animals live here and because of the wet soil you also walk on a plank path here. The route along the path is about 3 kilometers long.

Photo taken from behind the fence.

Zwillbrocker Ven

You may have already noticed from the name: the Zwillbrocker Ven is not in the Netherlands but just across the border in Germany. However, the distance cannot be named: from the border to the parking lot it is only 1.5 kilometers. And if you go for a walk in the Achterhoek, the Zwillbrocker Ven is a great option! The Zwillbrocker Ven is a special nature reserve where you can admire a group of forty flamingos from March to June. Really cool to see these tropical birds in this landscape! The total walk around the Zwillbrocker Ven is 5.8 kilometers. For most of the route you walk in a fairly large arc around the fen, so you spend most of your time in the woods or along the meadows. That is a bit of a shame, but it is of course very well done for the protection of the area. There are four different viewpoints over the lake and in the spring the chance of seeing flamingos is very high. If you have binoculars, be sure to take them with you, so that you can see them clearly even when they are a little further away.

The Leemputten

The Leemputten nature park is located on the Dutch side of the Zwillbrocker Ven. The Loam Pits were created because loam was excavated from the end of the 19th century until the 1970s. After 1978, the area was returned to nature and has been open to the public ever since. You can also go pedal boating on one of the waters and there is a super cozy catering facility. The walk around the Leemputten is only 3 kilometers long, but takes you past the various lakes that were created in the excavations. If you want to make it a longer walk, you can also combine the Leemputten with the Zwillbrocker Ven. Here you will find an 11 kilometer route that passes through both areas.

Holiday home in the Achterhoek

After seeing these walks, do you feel like going to the Achterhoek for a few days? Then a holiday home in the woods is a wonderful place to stay. We slept 3 nights in holiday home De Uil, located in a small-scale holiday park in the middle of the forest. It was such a treat to wake up every day to the sound of countless birdsong and to see squirrels darting through the garden. The house itself is fully equipped: a fully equipped kitchen, a washing machine and dryer, barbecue and dishwasher make this a place where you can stay for a week or longer. We really enjoyed the peace and space. The cottage offers space for four people. Curious about holiday home De Owl or one of the 7 other holiday homes in this park? You reserve them via Vakantiehuisachterhoek.com.

There are many beautiful walks in the Achterhoek. I really enjoyed the unique nature reserves and the beautiful routes. I would definitely recommend that you take a few days off and combine all the beauty in the Achterhoek with a stay in a house in the woods. You can read more tips for the Achterhoek in this article. Would you like to read more about beautiful places in the Netherlands? View all our articles about the Netherlands here.