The Netherlands may be a small and flat country, nevertheless; it is packed with diverse, unique and beautiful national parks.

The Netherlands has 21 national parks and over 160 nature reserves, to be exact.

Each region has its unique landscape and characteristics; in the southern provinces such as Limburg, for example, you will find forested hills and rivers while in the northern-western parts you'll find more lakes, wildlife, birds, and dunes. On the World Heritage Wadden islands, you’ll find yourself in a different world completely! Here you'll be able to enjoy stunningly wide beaches, walk on the sea's bottom when the tide is low, and even spot seals.

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Top 12 national parks in the Netherlands you must visit

Hoge Veluwe National Park This is one of my favorite parks! This park is in the largest lowland terrain in the whole of northern Europe! This beautiful area is where nature meets culture with a side of history, 5,400-hectares of woodland, open terrine, wildlife such as deer, and dunes. The best way to explore is to either hike or take a white bike given for free at the different entrances to the park and off you go!

At the heart of the park, you have the famous Kröller-Müller Museum featuring the largest private collection of Van Goghs in the world, as well as pieces by Signac and Henri Edmund-Cross, the museum includes an amazing sculpture park.

Meinweg National Park This park is located in southern Limburg close to the border with Germany. The park has three signposted walking routes which take three hours on average to complete; think hills, woodland, and lots of water.

Drentsche Aa National Park Located along the Dretsche Aa river which is the longest river in the Netherlands that remains unaltered by dikes or canals, the landscape here is unique. The area of the park is diverse; a beautiful countryside where you'll enjoy a valley on the banks of the river, woodland, dunes, and hayfields.

De Zilk ~ Amsterdam's Waterleidingduinen: This park is a great place for a walk or bike ride, here you'll find open spaces as well as woodlands, it is flat in some parts and slightly hilly in others, and beautiful dunes. This park is an amazing place for animal watching such as foxes, deer, and wild horses. We got lucky and saw many deer herds around and foxes too so keep your eyes peeled!

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Boswachterij Gees: Gees is a traditional and well-preserved village in Drenthe where we stayed for a long weekend, next door you'll find a nature park, a beautifully relaxing open grassland, and forests to walk or cycle through. In the fall it is a great place to go on a mushroom hunt, you will not believe how many sorts of different color mushrooms you'll find there!

Lauwersmeer National Park Lauwersmeer is a man-made lake in the north of the Netherlands, on the border of the provinces of Groningen and Friesland. Beautiful landscape, water views, walking as well as cycling paths to explore, and it is famous for birdwatching!

I love the beach! The beach area in the Netherlands is different perhaps from what you would normally expect, the beach is very wide and is surrounded by dunes for protection so you have a unique combination of beautiful dunes and woods as well as the glorious beach and views of the North Sea. In the area of Noordwijk, you can hike or bike for miles, my favorite!

Pro Tip! Click here for more information about the parks in this area

Dunes of Texel National Park Texel is one of the Wadden Islands, the west coast of Texel is a wonderfully diverse protected environment. The park is a combination of beaches, dunes, heath, and woodland. What is unique here is what is called De Slufter, this is a dune valley with an open connection to the North Sea. If you are a bird enthusiast, this park is perfect for bird watchers. At the visitor's center, you will find all the information you need regarding the color-coded routes for hikers as well as a map and a bird guide.

National Park Schiermonnikoog: Schiermonnikoog is an island in the north of the Netherlands, it is one of the West Frisian Islands parts of the province of Friesland. The park is perhaps not as large as others are but it offers many different landscapes and plenty of nature to enjoy; dunes, forests, mudflats, and polders.  Over 300 bird species visit the island of Schiermonnikoog every year.

NOTE: Only residents are allowed to have vehicles on this island, cycling is the way to explore the island, there are of course walking routes as well, all easily accessible.

Holtingerveld nature park: The biggest attraction of parks in this area are the hunebeds, these are the oldest monuments in the Netherlands. They are prehistoric tombstones built by the Funnelbeaker people using boulders during the Ice Age. In total Drenthe has 52 hunebeds you can see in a 30-kilometer radius. Fun fact: Did you know the hunebeds are older than Stonehedge in the Uk?

De Groote Peel National Park This nature park is in North Brabant and Limburg and has water-rich moorland, ponds, and lakes caused by peat-cutting. There were raised footbridges and a viewing tower built so visitors could enjoy the unique swampy landscape safely. There are more than 200 bird species to be spotted here, if you visit in the fall you can witness the spectacle of migrating cranes, stopping here on their long migrations.

Zuid Kennemerland National Park This park is a 45-minutes drive from the capital Amsterdam, and it's where you will find dunes, forested areas, traditional country estates, wildlife such as deer, and beautiful views of the North Sea as you reach the beach. There are many walking and cycling routes you can follow and do animal watching.

Practical information

• Start your day early so you can avoid the crowds and full parking lots, that is never fun, right?

• Get your tickets in advance to have easy and fast access inside.

• Make sure you have comfortable hiking shoes.

• If you plan on renting a bike to explore the park, make sure you have a small backpack to put your things in so you can bike safely and in comfort.

• Wear weather-appropriate clothes before heading out especially if you plan to visit parks closer to the beach area as it can be very windy.

• Bring water with you. Some parks are great to have a picnic in, bring with you compact pre-packed picnic goodies and a blanket to sit on for the complete experience.

• Have a camera.

• Have sunnies, sunscreen, and a hat when hiking during the summer months.

• Check the parking in advance.

Planning a visit to Amsterdam? Find your tickets for the different activities for the best rates below

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Yours,

Diti