November 24, 2025

The most beautiful hiking areas in the Netherlands

Walking is wonderful, especially during your holidays. You can unwind and be active. The Netherlands has many beautiful nature reserves perfect for hiking. With the sun on your face and the wind in your hair, you can truly unwind during a walk. You're at one with nature; the fresh air and the movement of your body give you a sense of fulfillment. Even though the Netherlands isn't very large, there are plenty of beautiful hiking areas. Your holiday home surrounded by nature is the perfect starting point for a walk through heathland, over hills, through forests, or along the coast. We've listed the 5 most beautiful hiking areas.

Hiking in Brabant

The Biesbosch National Park is a protected nature reserve, where the rhythm of the ebb and flow of freshwater is unique in Europe. Its most famous resident is the beaver. A whispering tour lets you go on a beaver hike with a ranger and learn all about the lives of these special animals. Hike along unpaved paths, wander through marshy wetlands, and bring your binoculars. Routes are available at the visitor centers; some are only accessible by boat.

The Loonse and Drunense Dunes are also known as the Brabant Sahara because of their numerous sand drifts. High dunes, white sandy plains, and a mix of grass and heathland form the backdrop. The landscape is constantly changing, and the large temperature differences between day and night create unique flora and fauna.

The Leenderbos, near Eindhoven, is part of the Heeze-Leende nature reserve, together with the Strabrechtse Heide. A smaller nature reserve, but with many hiking, cycling, and horseback riding trails, there's plenty to see. The landscape is diverse, with heathland, forest, and fens. If you're lucky, you might even encounter a shepherd.

2. Walking in the Achterhoek

In the Achterhoek region (Gelderland), you'll find a diverse range of landscapes. Beautiful park gardens with country houses, vast forests on the hills of Montferland, and raised bogs with streams meandering through the woods around Winterswijk. Stately beech avenues, a carpet of colorful flowers interspersed with villages, meadows, and historic towns. The Achterhoek is easily explored via a walking network of over 3,000 kilometers and 150 starting points. Follow a ready-made walking route or create your own. Discover the Klompenpad, the Langenberg, the Kackfortse Enkroute, and Winterswijk National Park. If you're near Aalten, be sure to visit the industrial museum. For decades, buffalo horn was used to carve buttons, pipes, and walking sticks.

3. Hiking in Overijssel

The landscape of Overijssel is diverse. Take the Twente landscape, for example, where wooded banks and hedges provide natural separation, keeping horses and cows neatly in the pasture. As you walk, you'll pass forests and heathlands, burial mounds, sand drifts, rivers and streams, elegant estates, and ancient farmhouses nestled among picturesque villages. The Sallandse Heuvelrug is undulating with panoramic views, babbling brooks, and purple heather. This area lies in the western half of Overijssel. Between Holten and Ommen lie the most beautiful hiking areas, such as the Lemelerberg and Archemerberg, and the Vechtdal. On the Sprengenberg, once formed by glaciers, you can walk for hours and unwind. You might even encounter a Highland cattle or the rare black grouse.

4. Walking on the North Holland coast

The North Holland coast is expansive, with long, wide sandy beaches, dunes, and a wide selection of charming villages. The sea is a wonderful place to be in all seasons, from rough waves in the winter months to a calm and tranquil sea on summer days. Enjoy the wind in your hair, the sound of the waves, and the magical sunset. During a walk, you're sure to come across a lighthouse or a charming fishing village. Enjoy a bite to eat, fly a kite, search for shells, or go kitesurfing—after a day at the beach, you'll feel rejuvenated. Callantsoog flies the Blue Flag, meaning the beach is clean and safe. Did you know that the sun shines longer and more often here than in the rest of the Netherlands? Dogs are also welcome; they can run free on the beach between October 1st and May 1st. The Zwanenwater nature reserve is a Natura 2000 area where you can walk in peace and quiet. Unfortunately, dogs are not allowed here due to environmental restrictions. the tranquility for the animals that live there. Birdwatchers can observe countless birds from hides that find food and rest here, such as the shoveler, egrets, and the wigeon. Many orchid species also grow here. Natuurmonumenten organizes excursions to Het Zwanenwater all year round.

5. Hiking in South Limburg

In South Limburg, you'll quickly feel like you're abroad. The Limburg hills, limestone quarries, and varying elevations give the landscape a unique character. Meadows, standard orchards, meandering streams, forests, and panoramic views alternate, and along the way you'll pass chapels, cafes, and half-timbered houses. Limburg is known for its Burgundian hospitality, and you'll experience this for yourself during a culinary walk past vineyards, breweries, or restaurants. Limburg boasts many nature reserves, the most famous of which are the Geuldal and Vijlenerbos. Less well-known, but certainly also worth a visit, is the Eijsen-Margraten cultural route, with its beautiful village views and past church villages. In the Savelsbos, you'll encounter traces of the Stone Age, such as prehistoric flint mines. Long ago, people extracted flint from here to make tools. This is the habitat of the badger, but you'll also encounter wild boar and foxes. You'll also find special bird species like the green woodpecker and the wryneck. Because of its location in the border region, you can even end up in Belgium or Germany while hiking. The Drielandenpunt, with the Vaalserberg at 322m, is the highest point in the Netherlands.