26 Forests to Explore in Netherlands

Almere Jungle is an animal shelter and education center in the municipality of Almere and was founded in 1996. There is mainly shelter for small mammals, reptiles, fish, birds and insects. It was set up as a sheltered workshop and had more than 70 participants in 2016. The animals are taken care of as much as possible by the participants who are assisted by professional guides. In addition to animal care, clients are active in the hospitality industry, technology, shops and landscaping.

Oud-Amelisweerd is a country estate and knight 's court town near Bunnik in the Dutch province of Utrecht . Together with the coach house and the garden, it forms the Historic Buitenplaats Oud-Amelisweerd complex. Together with Nieuw-Amelisweerd it forms the Amelisweerd estates. It is one of the iconic attraction in this area and also there are so many things to see and do here.

The Bevrijdingsbos is a forest on the edge of the city of Groningen near Noorddijk , between the Lewenborg district and the village of Garmerwolde. The forest was planted in 1995 at the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands , as a thank you and tribute to the Canadian liberators of Groningen in April 1945. Through the forest is a path with large stones from 10 different countries, with the Ten Rights of the Child on it.

The Boswachterij Gieten-Borger is a forestry of Staatsbosbeheer in the Dutch municipalities of Aa and Hunze and Borger-Odoorn in the province of Drenthe. The Gieten-Borger forestry is approximately 2,900 hectares and was built around 1922 as part of the job creation scheme . Before that time, a vast moorland landscape lay here . First the northern part of the forestry was constructed and then the southern part.

This is a reclamation forest on old heathlands. You will find larch and spruce, heather and fens. In this area you can enjoy cycling and walking. However, the forest is best known for the former Camp Westerbork, from which many Jews were deported during the Second World War

Boswachterij Staphorst of Staatsbosbeheer is a 940 hectare forest and nature reserve in the eastern part of the municipality of Staphorst in the province of Overijssel . It is located in an otherwise agricultural environment. The forestry is crossed by dirt roads and several motorways. In the middle is the Zwarte Dennen swimming pond , with a landscaped sandy beach all around, which attracts many visitors for daytime recreation in summer time.

The Maashorst is the largest contiguous nature reserve in the province of Noord-Brabant. A nature reserve with the ambition of becoming a national park. It also includes a nature gate: a gate through which many visitors go into nature each year to discover the unique characteristics of the Maashorst.

The Dwingelderveld is Europe's largest wet moorland area. It is covered by numerous fens and marsh flats featuring a wide variety of rare plants. The park covers about 37 km2 and is mainly managed by the State Forest Service and the most important Dutch private nature management organisation Natuurmonumenten. It is the largest wet heathland of Western-Europe. Dwingelderveld is also designated as a Natura 2000-area.

Boswachterij Westerschouwen is the largest forest in Zeeland , located on the coast of Schouwen-Duiveland. The Westerschouwen Boswachterij, the Meeuwenduinen, the Verklikkerduinen and the Vroongronden all fall under the Kop van Schouwen. The forest is rich in birds. Birds of prey such as buzzards and hawks are present. The area is largely freely accessible to visitors. The area can be visited on foot, by bicycle or with a horse. There is also a tiled path that wheelchair users can use.

Groesbeekse Bos is the name of a collection of forest plots in the former municipality of Groesbeek (now Berg en Dal ) that are managed by Staatsbosbeheer . The rolling forest landscape is located west of Groesbeek in Gelderland , partly on the border of Limburg . The area is part of the historic Ketelwald , which was split into the Nederrijkswald and the Reichswald due to changing borders and later by subdivision into different forest plots. The Pieterpad crosses the area.

Heumensoord is an area of ​​more than 600 hectares in Gelderland that mainly consists of coniferous forest. it is part of the chain of forests between Nijmegen and Mook that becomes richer and more varied towards the east, but towards the west increasingly drier, poorer and also poorer in species. Military exercises are sometimes held in the surrounding forest, sometimes closing parts of the area to the public. In the south of the area is the Malden Glider Airfield.

The Horsterwold is a young forest near Zeewolde that is approximately 3700 hectares in size and borders the Nuldernauw . This forest is not only the largest deciduous forest in the Netherlands , it is also special because it is a forest on clay soil . The growth of trees is spectacular because acid rain has no effect on this environment and because the soil is very fertile.

The Mookerheide or Mookerhei is a forest and heathland area east of Mook in the Dutch province of Limburg at an altitude of about 50 meters, south of Nijmegen. The forest area between Nijmegen and Mook used to be a large heath, which in its entirety was called the Mookerheide. The Heumense Schans can still be seen in the landscape near Molenhoek . Natuurmonumenten owns an area of ​​235 ha in the Mookerheide.

The Mookerheide or Mookerhei is a forest and heathland area east of Mook in the Dutch province of Limburg at an altitude of about 50 meters, south of Nijmegen. The forest area between Nijmegen and Mook used to be a large heath, which in its entirety was called the Mookerheide. The Heumense Schans can still be seen in the landscape near Molenhoek . Natuurmonumenten owns an area of ​​235 ha in the Mookerheide.

The Noordlaarderbos is a kind of fairytale forest with a rich past. For example, you will find burial mounds here. The old burial mounds in the Noordlaarderbos date back to far before the Middle Ages. They are at least 2500 years old. They have lost their original shape due to burrowing humans and animals.The forest is especially popular with holidaymakers for walking on weekends. Natuurmonumenten has set out several walking routes through the forest.

De Pampushout is an urban forest in Almere Pampus . It separates this part of the city from Almere Poort . It is managed by Het Flevo landscape . It is one of the most visited forests in Almere.

The Panbos is a nature reserve on the north side of the Amersfoortseweg N237 west of Bosch en Duin on the edge of De Bilt . The Panbos, together with the Beerschoten and Houdringe estates, form a continuous green area with an area of ​​approximately 378 hectares, isolated from the Utrecht Hill Ridge. The Panbos is located in the middle of a number of urban areas, consisting of De Bilt, Bosch and Duin en Zeist. On the north side it borders the golf course 'de Pan'.

Park Vliegbasis Soesterberg is a nature reserve in the province of Utrecht on the largest part of the former Soesterberg Air Base . The area has been owned by Het Utrechts Landschap since December 2017 and has been managed by them since June 2009. The area is 500 hectares and has a high biodiversity, with rare vegetation such as flowery and hectic grasslands and oak strubben forest. A good trekking destination and also there are so many to explore.

The Savelsbos is a 6 km long, often narrow belt of hillside forests on the eastern slope of the Maas valley east and south-east of Maastricht and located between the villages of Cadier en Keer , Gronsveld , Eckelrade , Sint Geertruid , Moerslag and Rijckholt . The surface is approximately 240 ha. The forest has very steep, often eroding slopes with height differences of 70 m to 125 m above NAP with many steps. The

Sleenerzand is a more than 1600 ha large forest area in the province of Drenthe, located between Noord-Sleen and Schoonoord . The forests were planted in the 1930s . Many traces from the distant past can still be found, in the northern part glacial pits and in the southern part burial mounds .The recreational lake Kibbelkoele is located in the area . The Bosbad Noord-Sleen outdoor swimming pool is also located in the Sleenerzand and there is a 30 km long mountain bike route.