The finest nature reserves of the Netherlands
Out of the car and into the countryside: a national park or nature reserve is the perfect stop on a scenic drive. From the heath and sand drifts of the Veluwe to the dunes on the coast and the freshwater tidal nature of the Biesbosch, these are the 8 nature areas that passed our own vetting. At each one you plan a drive there in one click, or let the planner build a round trip past nature.
What we deliberately leave out, and why
The Netherlands has plenty of green; we add only the areas truly worth a stop and reachable by car. A few examples of what we do not (yet) add:
- Small green patches and city parks: nice for a moment, but not a destination that makes a drive better.
- Nature areas with nowhere to park or start: without a place to stop and begin, it is not a driving stop.
- Fragile areas without public paths: some nature we leave in peace; not everything needs to be visited.
If a nature area is in our list, it is worth the detour.
Plan a round trip past nature from your own start
Type your start town and we build a round trip of about two hours with nature areas from our selection as stops. Then adjust everything: duration, number of stops, vehicle.
8 nature areas approved as a stop. A place name is enough; no need to share your location.
The nature areas that passed our vetting
This is the full, current selection the planner may pick as a stop, ordered by province. Not a list copied off the internet.
Drenthe 1
- Dolmen D27 (Borger) photo stop great from the roadplan a route here
Friesland 1
- Drents-Friese Wold National Park short walkplan a route here
Gelderland 1
- De Hoge Veluwe National Park visit stopplan a route here
Limburg 1
- De Meinweg National Park short walkplan a route here
North Brabant 1
- Oisterwijkse Bossen en Vennen short walkplan a route here
North Holland 1
- Zuid-Kennemerland National Park short walkplan a route here
Overijssel 1
- Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park short walkplan a route here
South Holland 1
- De Biesbosch National Park short walkplan a route here
National park, nature reserve or heath
Whether you visit a national park, drive across the heath or follow the dunes, nature is the reward. The ice-age ridges and heaths of the east, the dunes on the coast, the woods and fens of the south and the tidal nature of the river country: we line up the finest per province, with the drive as the main course and the stop as the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Can I plan a route past nature areas from my own address?
Yes. Type your start town above and we build a round trip with nature areas as stops; or click "plan a route here" at a place and fill in your start.
Can you drive into the nature area by car?
Usually you park on the edge or at a visitor centre and explore on foot. At a few parks, such as De Hoge Veluwe, you pay entry and do not drive around inside by car. That is noted per place in the warnings.
Why aren't all nature areas included?
Deliberately not. We add only areas with a genuinely special, walkable landscape and a logical place to stop. What does not clear the bar, we leave out.
Are these nature drives free?
Yes. Viewing, generating from your own start, downloading the GPX and roadbook and sharing are free, with a small Touren.app mark. Some areas charge entry or parking; that is noted at the place.