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The 'Veluwe' is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts.
The Veluwe is the largest lateral moraine in the Netherlands, stretching 60 km from north to south, and reaching heights of over 100 m (the peak height is 110 m). The Veluwe was formed by the Saalian glacial during the Pleistocene epoch, some 200.000 years ago. Glaciers some 200 meters thick pushed the sand deposits in the Rhine and Maas Delta sideways, creating the hills which now form most of de Veluwe. Because the hills are made of sand, rain water disappears rapidly and then flows at a depth of tens of meters to the edges where it reaches the surface again. The journey from the center of the Veluwe takes some eighty years. So, originally the Veluwe was surrounded by a string of swamps, very popular with the game like deer and wild boars because these areas offered a rich vegetation to feed on. Since 1990s many plansare underway, or have already been realized, to restore these wetlands by blocking the drainage systems built by farmers during the last 150 years. The results are quite spectacular: very dry heathland changes into wetland within a space of just a few hundred meters. The Wisselse Veen near the village of Epe, on the North West Veluwe, offers the best example.
In the center of the southern Veluwe lies a national park, "Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe", measuring around 50 km², just five percent of the whole Veluwe. Although the park is relatively small, it blocks the passage of long distance walkers and game, because it is surrounded by high fences. The fences are needed because De Hoge Veluwe is the only part of de Veluwe with an admission charge. Further to the east there one other national park, called Veluwezoom, also measuring 50 km², which is not fenced in and freely accessible. There are plans to turn the entire Veluwe - the largest lowland nature area in North Western Europe - into one big national park.

Contents

Flora and fauna

Developments

Tourism

Miscellaneous

Towns and Cities

See also

External links

Flora and fauna

There are both pine and leaf tree forests on the Veluwe and because of the diversity of the landscape some 500 different kinds of plants can be found. The region is also home to many different species of animals, such as wild boar, several species of deer, several species of snakes including the common viper, Pine Marten, foxes and badgers. Furthermore, the raven was successfully reintroduced and the exotic Reeves's muntjac and mouflon can be seen. In all, the Veluwe is amongst the best places in the Netherlands to see wildlife.

Developments

Parts of the Veluwe that have been separated from each other by roads, towns and farmland are being reconnected by returning farmland to nature and creating wildlife viaducts over highways. In 2007, three of these ecoducts had been built, each one some 50 meters wide and covered with sand and vegetation to encourage animals to use them. Six more will be built in the next five years. Work is also being done to connect the Veluwe to other wildlife areas such as the Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands and the Reichswald in Germany. It is hoped that by doing so the genetic diversity of the wildlife population will increase, and that the Veluwe can be restored to its role as a mainport for wildlife in North Western Europe.

Tourism

The Veluwe is a popular tourist destination, especially for Dutch people wanting to go on a short vacation in their own country. Campsites and bungalow parks are the preferred place to stay for most visitors. There are more than 500 of these sites, more than in the whole of Switzerland. Most are on the outskirts of the nature area. A few others however lie in the middle of what should be quiet wilderness area. One of these bungalowparks was removed around 2004, and there are other candidates. In order to turn the entire Veluwe into one big national park, and meet the IUCN standards for a national park (a IUCN-category two area) such moves are necessary. Removing remaining fences, as around De Hoge Veluwe and some other areas, is also essential. Around 2006 a 0.1 km² industrial zone near the village of Renkum was removed because it was blocking a valley, and a large military complex near Nunspeet was completely taken down instead of being redeveloped as a business area, as some local parties and the management of De Hoge Veluwe would like.
Besides the natural beauty of the area, other tourist attractions include four zoos, over 50 museums including the famous Kröller-Müller art museum and the royal palace Het Loo. Most of these attractions are just outside the nature area. Around de Veluwe there are also several lakes that allow for recreation on both the water and the beach.

Miscellaneous

In the summer of 2005 there were many claims of the sighting of a wild feline beast, nicknamed (in Dutch) "De poema van de Veluwe". This was eventually discovered to be a hoax, as people mistook a wild cat for a Cougar from a distance.

Towns and Cities

There are 21 towns and cities in the Veluwe region: Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Barneveld, Brummen, Ede, Elburg, Epe, Ermelo, Harderwijk, Hattem, Heerde, Nijkerk, Nunspeet, Oldebroek, Putten, Renkum, Rheden, Rozendaal, Scherpenzeel, Voorst and Wageningen.

See also

List of national parks of the Netherlands

External links

★ Hoge Veluwe Official Website

★ Veluwe tourist information

★ National Society of Friends of the Veluwe