I am always looking for unique places to stay close to home. I have been following The Forest for a while now on Instagram and this winter I could snatch up a last minute night at this beautiful cabin.
A private domain
The cabin is situated on a private domain, which is completely fenced off. You arrive along a beautiful tree lane from which you can already spot the cabin. The cabin is next to a small pond, where a kingfisher has taken up his residence. While we were staying at the cabin, we watched him fly his rounds along the pond from the bed in the morning. A beautiful sight.
A forest getaway Since the cabin is situated on a private domain, it feels like you are in the middle of the forest. On the other side of the main road you can hike in the Troostembergbos. Which makes this cabin the ideal getaway for forest lovers like me.
The cabin The cabin is equipped for two people. Keep in mind though that there isn’t a shower in the cabin, only a bath tub.
You do have the possibility of using their barbecue or grill on an open fire in the fire pits that are provided at the cabin.
One of the things I loved the most about this cabin is the canoe that is available for your use the entire stay. Even though it was freezing when we stayed there, I took the canoe out for a little tour of the pond.
Afterwards I could warm up next to the cozy fire place, which heats up the cabin in winter. The owners will start the fire place before your arrival, so the cabin is nice and toasty when you get there.
The Oeschinensee is located in Kandersteg, Switzerland at an altitude of 1.578 meters. The lake is surrounded by the Bluemlisalp, whith the peaks of the Oeschinenhorn, Frundenhorn and the Doldenhorn. These peaks of more than 3.000 meters make for an impressive sight.
The water of the lake has this amazing shade of blue, due to the constant supply of melting water.
There is a lift that leads pretty much right up to the lake, which makes it a popular location. But the Oeschinnensee is also known to be the most beautiful mountain lake of Switzerland.
Hiking around Oeschinensee
Most people will just hike up to the lake, but it is a beautiful area to go for a longer hike. We hiked up to the Oberbargli hut, which is a small hut, where you can get some refreshments, but nothing to eat. Which we actually had counted on.
The hut is located at 1.973 meters. On your way up you will pass the waterfalls that supply the water for the lake.
This hike gives you amazing views over the lake. When you get to the hut, you can either continue to the next hut, the Bluemlisalphutte, where you can also spend the night, or you can hike back from here. You have two options, hike back the same way you came in, or head left along the ridge.
Which is what we did. It will take you up along the trail higher up, which gives you some incredible views over the Oeschinensee.
It is quite a narrow trail and parts of it has rocks on it, where you have to scramble across. But the views are definitely worth it. Half way through you will come to a bench overlooking the lake, from there you have some amazing views.
The total loop was 11 km, but we also hiked back down to Kandersteg. We did take the gondola up to the lake though.
How to get there?
The Oeschinnensee is located in Kandersteg Switzerland. There is a parking lot at the bottom of the gondola.
Where to stay?
In Kandersteg you will find numerous hotels. If you are looking for a cheaper option, there is also a campsite at the foot of the gondola. Which is where we stayed. Campsite Rendez-Vous, is a family owned campsite, where you will find all the conveniences you need.
This year I was invited to share 8 of my favorite spots in Zeeland for the upcoming months. Starting in November until June. I thought I would share the spots I share on my instagram page in a blog post. So you will be able to find all my 8 favorite spots in one click.
I will be adding to this blog post for the next 7 months. So make sure to keep on checking this blog post.
1. Nieuwvliet-Bad
Zeeland is more then just beaches. This spot is located in the dunes in Nieuwvliet and is called ‘De Verdronken Zwarte Polder’. This area will either be flooded or dry depending on the tide of the sea. You will find wooden walking paths here to get easy acces to the beach, so you can keep your feet dry.
There are a lot of birds in this area, as well as some sheep. I even spotted a kingfisher here! It kept circling around me and coming back.
You can hike here on the east side, the hike starts at the Zeedijk, you can follow the red markers which is about a 3k hike.
How to get here? You can park your car at the Dwarsdijk, Nieuwvliet and cross the dunes from the parking lot where you can pick up the hiking route. The parking lot is located right next door to Roompot Beach Resort. In the winter months parking is free, but during summer you will have to pay to park here.
2. Lighthouse Breskens
In Breskens you will find a beautiful cast iron lighthouse. It has been there since 1868. It is the oldest still existing cast iron lighthouse in the Netherlands. It is one of the most iconic buildings in West Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.
During low tide you can walk along the beach to Breskens. During high tide you can walk along the dykes.
From the lighthouse you can see the skyline of Vlissingen, which is located on across the Westerschelde.
How to get here? The lighthouse is located at the Panoramaweg, where you can park your car for up to an hour. You can also park your car at the end of the Panoramaweg, where there is a big parking lot. Where parking is free during the winter months.
3. Forest Clinge
In Clinge you will find a beautiful forest. It is a beautiful place to go for a hike and you can even wander into Belgium from here into “Het Stropersbos”, as it is situated on the border.
During fall you will find a lot of toadstools here. As well as squirrels busy collecting their winter harvest.
How to get there? There is a little parking lot in Clinge at the entrance of the forest. The parking lot is located at the Hoogegeeststraat, Clinge.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite spots are in Zeeland. Would love to hear them!
4. Zoutelande
There is this song in Dutch about the beach in Zoutelande, but Zoutelande is so much more. I love this corner of Zeeland. The dunes are quite high, which makes for some beautiful view points. You can walk along the walkway in the dunes. Which gives you a beautiful overview of the sea and the backlands.
In the dunes you will find some shelters left from the war. There is even a museum, which you can visit during the summer months. When I was there it was closed though.
How to get there? There are multiple parking lots in Zoutelande, which are clearly marked. I parked my car at parking Wulkpad. Which is only a street away from the beach.
5. Castle Westhove
Did you know there are castles in Zeeland?
One of them is kasteel Westhove, situated in the Dunes near Domburg and Oostkapelle. The gardens are free to access and there are beautiful hiking trails.
I hiked the blue route, which is about 3km, but you can add an extra loop by including a visit to the beach. Which is exactly what we did. Having our morning tea on the beach, watching the waves crashing ashore.
How to get there? There is a parking lot at the Duinvlietweg, Oostkapelle. During the season this is a payed parking lot. All routes start from this parking lot.
6. Saeftinghe
The sunken land of Saeftinghe is a nature reserve situated on the border of Belgium and The Netherlands. It is the place where the river the Scheldt meets the sea the Western Scheldt. That is why the water in Saeftinghe is brackish. It is the biggest brackish husky in Europe. Due to the constant change of the tide, Saeftinghe is an ever changing nature reserve.
You can visit Saeftinghe on your own or your can book a guided tour at the visitor centre located in Emmadorp. Which have started up their tours again as of the 17th of May 2021.
The hiking routes which you can visit on your own also start from the visitor centre in Emmadorp, where you can also park your car for free.
On “het ruige laarzen pad” you will need rain boots. On the “plankierpad” they aren’t required, but I would wear them anyways, since it is really muddy. They are both short trails, 1 and 2 km long, but you can combine them.
The Netherlands is known for it’s tulip fields. You will find the famous tulip fields around Lisse, The Netherlands. But did you know that away from the crowds there are also tulip fields situated in Zeeland?
The tulip fields in Zeeland are mostly situated around Hulst and Graauw. You can make a little road trip out of it.
8. Dishoek & Westkapelle
Zeeland is known for it’s beaches. Which inadvertently links it to lighthouses.
One of the lighthouses is situated on the road and you can actually drive up to the lighthouse at Westkapelle. You can park your car at the foot of the lighthouse and watch the sunset in the sea.
The other lighthouses, there are two of them, you will find in the dunes of Dishoek. An area where you can hike for hours. Or just enjoy the beach.
Our travel plans have changed majorly due to Covid this year. So instead of venturing out to the mountains for a trip we decided to stay a bit closer to home. To be precise we decided to visit the beautiful Veluwe again. In my opinion one of the most beautiful areas of the Netherlands. I have been here multiple times in the past couple of years, since it is an easy weekend getaway.
With a longer stay it was time to explore some new places. One of them was Paleis het Loo. At the moment the national museum at the palace is closed due to maintenance. It is scheduled to reopen in 2021. So instead of visiting the palace we did a day hike around the palaces gardens which measure 650 hectare.
At the palace you have two parking lots. I opted for the one further away from the main area, due to the Covid 19 restrictions and the palace being closed. Coming out of the direction of Apeldoorn you just drive past the main entrance and a couple of hundred meters down the road you will pass another small sign indicating that you can enter the gardens. This is Parking lot Bosloo.
The entrance fee to the garden is 2 euros per person. Which you can pay at the entrance of the park at the parking lot. There is a cash and a card option at the machine. There is no parking fee.
One of the first things I noticed while entering the gardens was the differsity of the trees and the plants growing there. There are so many varieties I had never seen in the Netherlands before.
You will also find heather along the trail. Which at the end of July already started to bloom. I loved those purple flowers, unfortunately they only bloom for such a short time.
Besides heather you will also find blue berries along the trail, as well as many other plants.
We decided to hike the red route, which is a 7 kilometer long trail that will lead you away from the palace. You will find multiple trails in the gardens. Varying in length from 2 kilometers to 14 kilometers, as well as wheelchair accessible routes. So there should be a trail for everyone.
The red route is an easy hike with some rolling hills. It almost feels like you aren’t even in the Netherlands at all. Since the Netherlands are normally really flat. It adds to the feel of being on vacation. Even though you are close to home.
The route is well marked with wooden posts painted with the color of your route. Along bends they also placed multiple posts to make sure you won’t end up on another trail.
Along the trail you can take a little detour to the wildlife lookout. Where I spotted some wild boars in the middle of the day, as well as a red deer. Which I had never encountered before. It made for a great memory of this trip.
After finishing this trail you can also hike to the palace from this parking lot. Here you will find a map with all the hiking trails in the park.
I definitly want to go back to hike some other trails here.
Have you ever visited Paleis het Loo in the Netherlands?
If yes, did you hike in the gardens?
All of a sudden the world came to a complete stop in March. It is odd to think that things that used to be so normal just a couple of weeks ago are now things of the past. Luckily we were in an intelligent lockdown, which means we could still go outside to hike and exercise close to home.
Since we all spend so much time at home I thought I would write a blogpost about some of my favorite books. I have loved to read ever since I was a child. I am the person that always carries a book around, wherever she goes. Luckily for me my Kindle has made this so much easier. It is my go to when I travel, but sometimes there are books that just need to physically be on my bookshelves.
Today I will share a couple of my favorite books I have read over the past couple of years.
I have read this book multiple times by now and I notice that I keep going back to it. It is so well written and it just makes you want to put on your hiking boots and hike the PCT by yourself. Truly inspiring for every outdoor enthousiast.
This is a great novel about a family moving to small homestead in Alaska. There they face the hardship of living in the wilderness. It makes you appreciate the simple things in life. It is one of those books that is just hard to put down.
Becoming is a truly empowering book about life before, during and after the presidency of Barack Obama. This book is heartfelt and honest. I loved reading this book. It never felt quite like reading an autobiography, but more like a novel.
Last year I read this book for the second time. The first time I read this book was in high school. It stuck with me and I just had to read it a second time. Both times I loved it from start to finish. It gives you an insight in the Japanese geisha culture before World War Two. The book truly mesmerized me.
When this book was released in the Netherlands I received a copy of this book in Dutch. It has recently been published in English. It is an amazing book. Which I could hardly put down. I also loved the addition of the pictures and Tim his artwork in the book. It is a great book for everyone who loves the outdoors. Tim writes about his experience hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.
This is a series that had to be on my list of go to reads. I have read the series multiple times and it just never gets old. If you have never read them I would highly recommend doing so.
Some books leave you thinking after reading them for a while. This is one of those books. Anthony writes about his conviction to death row, while he couldn’t possibly have committed the crime he was accused of. It tells the story of his battle with the legal system proving his innocence.
I love to read books about World War Two. This one is set in Saint Malo, France. It tells the story of a young girl, who is blind, they flee from Paris to Saint Malo. Where she meets Werner, a German soldier. It is one of those books that you won’t be able to put down.
This book tells the love story of Clare and Henry, who life decades apart and meet during his time travels. This book keeps you wondering how this will end. It is an unconventional love story, but a must read.
I have read this book multiple times. I also read the sequence. The book tells the story of Elizabeth after her divorce. She travels the world to three places, which stand into big contrast to each other, first it is Italy, then India and to end the trip she goes to Bali. The book tells you a story of healing and finding inner peace.
Have you read any of these books? Which books do you like to read?
During summer I always stay close to home. One of the places I love to visit then is the forest in Westerschouwen, Zeeland.
Westerschouwen is the biggest forest in Zeeland and is located right in the dunes of Westerschouwen. So you can easily combine your hike with a beachday. What about hiking early in the morning and ending the day on the beach?
The forest isn’t a natural forest, the area used to be all sand, but in 1920 they planted pine trees and marram grass. When the area became more touristic they expanded the forest with broad leave trees. Nowdays it is a protected forest.
There are multiple ways to explore the forest at Westerschouwen. There are hiking trails, mountainbike trails, bike trails and horse trails. So there is a trail for everyone. There are also paved trails for people in wheelchairs.
The trail
We did the yellow hike, which is 8 km long, and takes you through the forest, by the lakes and the lookout all the way to the beach. The path starts at the Kraaijensteijnweg, Westenschouwen. There is a big parking lot at the end of the street. The path is clearly marked with yellow signs. Just pay attention at the end that you go off the trail onto the paved path back to the excursion barn. Otherwise you will keep hiking in circles.
Since the trail is in the dunes, there are a lot of paths that are just mulled sand. Besides the sand you will also hike up and down the dunes. Which can make it a challenging hike.
My favorite part of this hike are the lakes. Next time I will bring a picknick and have lunch here and hang out and hike back out at the end of the day.
I also loved the lookout, where you can see for miles. Make sure not to walk by it as it looks like a no entry zone, but the lookout is open for everyone.
You can also combine the hike with a beachday, because from the parking lot it is only a 5 minute walk to the beach.
Oh and when you go early, there is a really big chance you will get to see deer in this forest.
When I lived in the States during High School. Snow was a given during winter. Here in The Netherlands it isn’t, but I love a good snow day. So to see snow this year I headed out to Austria.
When you say Austria during winter time. Here in The Netherlands the first question you get asked is: “Are you going skiing?” When your answer is no, people start wondering what it is you are going to do there during the winter.
I found out first hand that Austria is so much more during winter than just a ski destination.
My three tips on what to do when you don’t want to go skiing.
1. Winter hiking
In summer you will find numerous hiking trails in Austria. But even in winter you will find loads of trails. There are snow shoe trails or regular winter hiking trails. Take note which one you will be hiking before you start the hike. On the regular winter hiking trails all you need is a good pair of hiking boots. Which makes it accessible to most people. The trails are well marked and cleaned up daily. Some trails will take you to huts at the top of the ski slopes and on some trails you will barely even see a soul.
There are trails in all ranges from fairly easy to hikes with a lot of elevation gains. I did several hikes while in Austria, ranging in difficulty:
– wintertrail in Fieberbrunn. I started the trail at the church in Fieberbrunn and hiked up to the hut at Stroebuden, hiking through forests and breathtaking mountain views, but with quite a bit of elevation gain;
– trail starting from Leogang to Knappenstube in the Schwarzleo Tal, which is closed during winter, but it is a fairly easy hike taking you along the river and through the forest;
– Asitz Hoch Station. You can take the lift up from Leogang, which is free for one day if you are staying in the area. There is a hiking trail on top of the mountain with the most incredible 360 degree view of the mountains around Leogang. You will hike here from about 1.700 meters up to 2.000 meters. The only downside is that you will hike along the ski slopes and there is no hiking trail back to the Mittel Station, which means the only way down is by lift if you aren’t skiing;
– The Achensee, on the last day I visited the Achensee, where there is a trail leading along the banks of the lake. It is a beautiful place and an easy hike.
2. Sleigh rides
If you do want to slide of a mountain, skiing or snowboarding isn’t the only option. In most places they have sleigh tracks. You just pick up a sleigh at the bottom of the lift and carry it up with you to the top to ride it back down to the valley again on special tracks just for this. It is an activity for the entire family.
3. Relax
One thing they know how to do in Austria after a day in the outdoors is how to relax. In most hotels you will find saunas that you can use, but there are also public ones in some towns. What is a better way to end a day of hiking while relaxing in the sauna?
Have you ever been to the Alps during winter? If yes did you do any activities that weren’t ski related?
Those days between Christmas and New Year’s are always the kind of days that seem to go by without a thought. So this year I decided to change things up and book a weekend getaway with Valerie. A special one for that matter. I decided to head back to the Veluwe, one of the most beautiful parts of The Netherlands.
The Pod at Buitenplaats Beekhuizen
I booked a pod nestled in the middle of the national park of Veluwezoom. A pod is a little wooden cabin. At Buitenplaats Beekhuizen you will find the pods and tents surrounded by the forests. I booked a stay from Friday until Monday. Upon my arrival it was already clear that this isn’t to long to stay here. There are countless hiking trails around and activities. You will have a hard time deciding what to do first.
The pods are small, but they are equipped with all the conveniences you will need. You won’t have a fully equipped kitchen though. You do however have a water heater, a coffee maker, a microwave and a fridge. If you do want to make homemade meals you can also book a cooking pod, but their is also a restaurant on side. As was as a breakfast service. The pods also have their own bathrooms. And my pod could even house up as many as four people.
Restaurant Woodz
The first thing you will come across when you enter the site is restaurant Woodz. The restaurant is small, but cosy. The inside area is made out of an old shipping container. Outside you will find fire pits and sheepskin blankets to keep you warm, even during the winter months. And the food is amazing. There are even a couple of options if you are a vegetarian.
Hiking Buitenplaats Beekhuizen is situated in the middle of National Park Veluwezoom. Which comes with the bonus of trails starting in your backyard. There are hiking trails starting right outside your doorstep, one of which is the Herikhuizen route. Which we hiked the first day while we were there.
Herikhuizen trail The Herikhuizen hiking trail is a a 10k hike crossing the Veluwezoom National Park and it’s diverse landscape. From rolling hills, to heather fields and back into the forest.
The Herikhuizen trail will taking you right along the famous Herikhuizen heather fields, which only bloom in August. As well as the most famous spot to watch the heather fields in the Netherlands, the Posbank.
While on this hike you might also run into some Icelandic horses. You can ad a little extra to this hike by getting of the trail for just a little bit to visit the nature observation point Herikhuizen. Where you might spot some wild boars, or maybe even deer.
Hike Carolinahoeve The second day we decided to hike the trail to the Carolinahoeve, a pancake restaurant, which is only accessible by foot. If you are lucky you will even come across some of the Scottish highlanders whom roam freely in this area. This is a 5k trail starting from the parking lot “Lappendeken” It is an easy trail, but even though The Netherlands is mostly flat, don’t be fooled by it, because here you will find some rolling hills.
It was the perfect weekend getaway in between Christmas and New Year’s. If you would like to book one of the pods, go over to the website of Buitenplaats Beekhuizen by clicking this link.
Last August we went to France for another camping trip. This time our destination was the Mont Blanc region.
One of the things I had put on the list to see there was Lac Blanc. So we asked at the campsite how to get there and set out early in the morning.
We parked our car at Trechamps. There is a map at the parking lot and the route up has really good signs. So we set out with just the map the campsite owner printed for us. Keep in mind that this is not an easy trail. You will be climbing from 1400 meter elevation to over 2000 meters.
The entire hike to the lake is a climb, you will even encounter a couple of ladders and ledges. Since I am afraid of heights this wasn’t my favorite part of the hike and I was happy to leave the ladders behind me and set foot on a regular mountain trail again.
If you want to avoid the ladders I would recommend taking the lift all the way up to Flegere and hike from there to Lac Blanc instead. Just keep in mind to make sure you are back in time for the last lift down, which was 15.30 when we were there.
Before you reach Lac Blanc you will come across Lac des Cheserys, which for us was our final destination. As the hut at Lac Blanc was closed and it was extremely crowded on the trail as soon as we crossed paths with the trail coming from the lift. So instead of climbing more ladders for about 20 minutes we enjoyed the incredible view of the Mont Blanc from Lac Cheserys.
After resting up and putting our feet in the lake, which you can imagine was heavenly after hiking in 25 degree weather in the heat of summer. We started our descent back to the car. The first part of the trail you will follow the same one back as you went up, but unfortunately the pass going back down to make a circular route was closed off so we had to take the same route back. Which meant taking the ladders back down. Fortunately there was only an older couple behind us so I could take it easy getting on and off the ladders. There were even hikers so friendly to make sure my hiking stick was securely fastened to my backpack.
After the ladders you will come back to the regular trail where you can enjoy the views of the Mont Blanc one more time before you get back to your car.
It wasn’t an easy hike, but the views of the Mont Blanc made up for it every second of the hike. The total trip took us about 6 hours.
Roadtrips are by far my favorite way to travel. You can take in all the sights at your own pace. And stop wherever you want to. Or just stay one day longer. We barely ever travel with a set plan. Which makes roadtrips the perfect way for us to travel, because you don´t have to keep to a set schedule. I especially love to combine roadtrips with camping.
So what are our 5 roadtrip essentials?
1. Good music
We absolutely love music and there isn’t a day that goes by that we don´t listen to some of our favorite artist while at home. So what better way to start a roadtrip, then with some of our favorite artists. That is why music is essential to us for a good roadtrip. We will always bring our ipod and a bunch of cd´s.
Especially driving through France, it is a good thing to bring your own music. Unless you want to listen to French radio all day. It might be a good idea though if you want to learn French.
2. Food
Whenever we go on a roadtrip, I make sure to keep some food handy. You never know when you might get stuck in a traffic jam or just want to eat something. So we always bring a lot of food.
3. A map
Even though we all have 4G internet on our cell phones these days and navigation, we always make sure to bring a map on a roadtrip, especially going to remote places you might run out of a signal.
4. Your camera
As a photographer I obviously always bring my camera everywhere, so I will also bring it along on a roadtrip.
5. Comfortable clothes/blankets/pillows
When I will be in a car for a while I always make sure to wear comfortable clothes, like a sweatshirt and leggings. Nothing worse then being stuck in a car for hours and not being comfortable.
We also always bring blankets and pillows. We always start driving in the middle of the night, so I will sleep in the car for a while. So we can switch places driving.
We decided to hike the red route, which is a 7 kilometer long trail that will lead you away from the palace. You will find multiple trails in the gardens. Varying in length from 2 kilometers to 14 kilometers, as well as wheelchair accessible routes. So there should be a trail for everyone.
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