Being active in the surroundings of Molecaten Park De Leemkule

Get on your bike, put on your walking shoes...together into nature!

For cycling and hiking enthusiasts, a stay in this region is always too short! There is so much to experience in nature.

Cycling

Use the cycling junction network or a ready-made route. You can have lunch in a beautiful characteristic village or at a picnic spot with a fantastic view. With more than 1,600 kilometres of cycle paths, the Veluwe has the largest cycle route network (junctions) in Europe. Heerde and Hattem are close to the IJssel River. Follow the cycle paths along this river and use a ferry to discover the Hanseatic cities on the other side. Tip: make a trip with the free to use 'white bikes' of the National Park over De Hoge Veluwe! At the reception there are several bicycle routes ready for you.

Beautiful routes are e.g:

In the next to last ice age, there was a split between two glacier tongues near Hattem. The result was a great variety of landscapes: at the northern tip of the densely wooded Veluwe lateral moraine, the meadows of the IJssel valley and the wet coastal plain of the Zuiderzee lie on either side, alternating with sandy ridges and country estates, including IJsselvliedt and Wittenstein. Start the route from junction 58, in the centre of Hattem.
  Epe and Heerde are situated on the eastern lateral moraine of the Veluwe and you can feel it in your legs. Between the highest point (1.5 km before De Ossenstal) and the lowest (Oene) there is a height difference of 43 m. This makes the landscapes varied: high and dry with woods and heath, and wet, swampy and green. In the IJssel valley, wieringen were dug parallel to the lateral moraine (in a north-south direction) to catch the enormous quantities of Veluwe seepage water. One of the wakes was widened around 1830 to form the Apeldoornsch Kanaal, which you cross twice. Start the route from node 94, in the centre of Heerde.

Walking

Magnificent footpaths traverse the Molecaten Estate (with its more than 400 year old Mariabeuk tree), the Zwolse Bos, the nature reserve De Renderklippen with its sheepfold and the Dellen. The view from the dozens of metres high Renderklippen is unparalleled, especially when the heather is in bloom or when the forest is covered in golden-yellow autumn hues. Also beautiful are the walking routes along the river IJssel and to the Vreugderijkerwaard in particular.

Nice routes are a.o:

The most beautiful walking routes over farmland are the Klompenpaden in the north-eastern tip of the Veluwe. During your walk, you can enjoy the peace, small-scale nature and the combination of culture and nature. The five Klompenpaden in the municipality of Heerde are very popular and Visit Heerde has installed luisterbankjes and trees along the paths. The benches have a story! Sit down and listen to stories from the area
  Hattem is a beautiful Hanseatic town, but the surrounding area is also worthwhile. Take a walk through the floodplains, beautiful nature reserves where many rare birds can be spotted. These nature areas, where the water has free play, form an important transition between the river IJssel and the Veluwe. Rare birds such as the kingfisher, bittern and hen harrier can be found here.
  This walk takes you from Epe to the woods and heathland of De Dellen country estate, a nature reserve of the ever-elusive Veluwe. You'll also walk through the village of Heerde where, just like in Epe, there are some characteristic monumental farmhouses.
  This estate on the flank of the Veluwe is among the larger private estates in the Netherlands. The area has an old, small-scale cultural landscape. There are three marked walking routes. The Tongeren brook route includes a plank path!

Adventurous

  • Vadesto Outdoor Adventure in Hattem: for a fun day on the water or other land-based activities such as archery and climbing.
  • Watersports: Wakeboarding and water skiing at Lakeside Cablepark Zwolle on the Wijthmenerplas in Zwolle or at Burnside Cablepark the Kievitsveld in Emst.
  • Escape Room Swolland in Zwolle: Find out what happens in this top secret Zwolle research laboratory. Will you manage to escape from this Zwolle puzzle room?
  • Rees Outdoor Fit in Wapenveld: offers survival run training, group activities, boot camp and canoe hire. Furthermore, you can climb and clamber in the climbing forest and on the obstacle course, unique in the area.
  • Stalhouderij ‘Het Zwarte Paard’ in Emst: young or old, beginner or advanced, the stable offers you and the family various possibilities.
  • Golf: the true golf enthusiast can visit Golfclub Zwolle or Dutch Golf Center in Hattem. The best outing in the green for young and old: Pitch & Putt Golf at Heerderstrand in Heerde.
  • Klimbos Veluwe in Apeldoorn: a unique and exciting experience for young and old (from 7 years of age). There are 9 routes and about 120 different transitions, varying in height and difficulty.
  • Canoeing, supping or pedal boating on the Zwolle canal at Hiawatha actief.