Attractions and Places To See around Apeldoorn - Top 20

Apeldoorn is surrounded by diverse natural parks. You can visit Veluwezoom National Park, known for its forests, heathlands, and sand drifts, offering beautiful views due to its relief. Just outside the city is De Hoge Veluwe National Park, spanning 55 square kilometers with forests, heathlands, and sandy dunes, home to red deer and wild boar. Other options include Palace Park and Crown Estate Het Loo, Park Berg & Bos with its watchtower, and the ancient Orderbos.

Yes, Apeldoorn offers several significant historical and cultural sites. The most famous is Paleis Het Loo, a magnificent 17th-century Baroque palace that was once a royal residence and now functions as a museum with stunning interiors and gardens. Another unique landmark is Radio Kootwijk, a former broadcasting station with a distinctive 'Cathedral of the Veluwe' design. The Grote Kerk, built in 1892, is also notable for its royal connections.

Apeldoorn is great for families. You can visit Apenheul Primate Park, where monkeys roam freely, offering close interactions. Koningin Julianatoren (Queen Juliana Tower) is an amusement park with over 60 attractions. For active families, Klimbos Veluwe provides an adventurous climbing park with rope courses and zip lines. Kinderparadijs Malkenschoten is a play park with farm animals and interactive activities.

The region around Apeldoorn is ideal for outdoor activities. For hiking, consider routes like the Kootwijkerzand and Radio Kootwijk Loop or explore the varied environment of Loenen. You can find more hiking options in the Hiking around Apeldoorn guide. For cycling, there are numerous options, including gravel biking routes like 'Evergreens – fantastic year-round gravel in Kroondomein' or road cycling routes such as 'Radio Kootwijk Building A – View of Leesterheide loop from Apeldoorn'. Discover more routes in the Gravel biking around Apeldoorn guide and the Road Cycling Routes around Apeldoorn guide.

The best time to visit Apeldoorn for outdoor activities and wildlife spotting, especially in areas like De Hoge Veluwe National Park, is typically during spring (April-May) and autumn (September-October). In spring, nature awakens, and many animals are active. Autumn offers stunning colors, and it's a prime time for observing red deer and wild boar during their rutting season. The weather is generally pleasant for hiking and cycling during these periods.

Yes, Apeldoorn has notable art and museum attractions. The CODA Museum serves as the city's primary cultural institution, featuring contemporary art, historical exhibitions, and an extensive jewelry collection. Additionally, within De Hoge Veluwe National Park, you'll find the Kröller-Müller Museum, which houses the second-largest collection of Van Gogh paintings in the world, alongside modern sculptures and a sculpture garden.

Absolutely. The region is known for its relief, offering several excellent viewpoints. The Posbank Viewpoint in Veluwezoom National Park is particularly famous, providing expansive views over the heathlands. Park Berg & Bos also features a watchtower with panoramic views of the Veluwe landscape. The Emma Pyramid climb also offers rewarding views from its summit.

Yes, for a nostalgic experience, the Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij (Steam Train Society) offers steam train rides. If you're interested in seeing Apeldoorn from a different perspective, the city also provides canal cruises.

Beyond the major parks, you can explore the Orderbos for a shorter walk, featuring stately lanes, babbling brooks, and remnants of medieval iron mining and ancient burial mounds. The Palace Park and Crown Estate Het Loo also offer walking routes through coniferous forests and rolling heathlands with unique buildings like a boathouse and a horse cemetery, providing a more secluded experience.

Visitors frequently praise the diverse natural beauty, especially the varied landscapes of forests, heathlands, and sand drifts, which are perfect for cycling and hiking. The unique historical significance of sites like Paleis Het Loo and Radio Kootwijk also receives high acclaim. Many appreciate the family-friendly options and the opportunity for close encounters with wildlife, particularly in the primate park and national parks.

Yes, the region offers some challenging climbs, particularly around the Veluwezoom National Park. The Emma Pyramid climb is known for being a nasty short climb with the only hairpin corner in the Netherlands outside of Limburg. Another notable ascent is the Zijpenberg Climb from Rozendaal, which features several hairpin bends and can be quite demanding.