Camping

A micro adventure in Limburg

I love to go camping, and it is something that we haven’t had time for the past year. Due to renovating our new home. But at the end of September, we decided we would enjoy the beautiful weather and go for a one night camping trip in the beautiful province of Limburg, The Netherlands. And it didn’t disappoint.

Nature camping

We are a big fan of the Dutch nature campsites, or in Dutch the “natuurkampeerterreinen”. Every year we get the green card, so we can go camping at these campsites. We decided on “Hoeve Krekelenberg” for this mini adventure. We packed all our gear in the car, and we headed over there by car. Unfortunately it was a busy Saturday and it took us longer than we had planned to get to the campsite. But all was forgotten as soon as we arrived at this beautiful campsite.

I had called ahead and they had told us they only had spots left on the children’s field. Upon arrival though, we enquired about the tent fields, and there were a lot of open spots there. So we pitched our Coleman Darwin tent at one of the tent fields. Which was the best decision we could make. We had a beautiful view over the surrounding vine yards. And with the beautiful sunset that night it was a magical evening. With a glass of wine and some snacks overlooking the vine yards. It was a beautiful end to our Saturday.

Hiking

After a perfect night of sleep in the outdoors. We decided to go for a hike directly from the campsite. We headed over to Mulderplas, through the forest, which starts at the back of the campsite. With the rolling hills in Limburg, it actually feels like you are not in The Netherlands. A short hike takes us to the beautiful Mulderplas, and we decided to hike around it, we saw some beautiful water birds and reflections. It was such a peaceful place on a sunny Sunday morning.

After wards we walked past the small restaurant and headed back uphill, along a beautiful church which is situated in the middle of the forest, which is called the Maria chapel. We continue our hike through the forest, and eventually we get to an open field, which gives you a beautiful outlook of the surrounding landscape. After that it was time to head back into the forest, to the campsite and pack up our things and head back home.

It was a beautiful 24 hour adventure, something we will do again next year. Would you go on a 24 hour overnight camping trip? Let me know in the comments.

Weekend getaways in The Netherlands and Belgium

Are you looking for a perfect weekend getaway in The Netherlands or Belgium? In this post I will share some of my personal favorites with you.

The Forest, Belgium

On a private domain in Belgium, you will find this tiny house, the Forest. Where you can take a bath within the forest. The tiny house has room for two people and the cabin is heated by a cosy fire place.

In summer time there is a BBQ you can use, or you can cook on open fire and roast some marshmallows.

There is a large pond next to the cabin and you can take the canoe out for a spin.

Buitenplaats Beekhuizen

In the middle of the forest at the Veluwezoom, you will find pods and glamping tents from Buitenplaats Beekhuizen. It is the perfect place to go when you love to go hiking in the forest.

I love the fact that you are surrounded by the forest, wherever you look. At night it is still completely dark here and you will need a lantern to go outside. It is the perfect place to enjoy a campfire and watch the stars.

Bed and breakfast Zuidoord

This beautiful bed and breakfast is located on the island of Voorne Putten, only a short ride away from the city of Rotterdam, but still in the middle of nature. Surrounded by the countryside of The Netherlands, you will have a beautiful view for miles right from the garden of the bed and breakfast. The perfect place to relax and recharge.

Close to the city of Hellevoetsluis and surrounded by beautiful beaches and nature. You can rent a bike and go for a bike ride along Voorne Putten. Or you can put on your hiking boots and take a long walk along the beach of Rockanje or Voorne Putten.

Hotel de Sterrenberg

Right outside of national park the Veluwe you will find Hotel Sterrenberg, an adults only hotel, with an amazing restaurant. If you want a little bit more luxury this is the place to go. You can start your visit to the national park right from the doorstep of the hotel or you can stay at the hotel and enjoy a relaxing day at their spa and afterwards an amazing dinner at their restaurant, Woods.

Camping de Blauwe Haan

If you are looking for something different, right in the middle of nature, camping the Blauwe Haan is the place to go. It is a beautiful campsite situated in the beautiful province of Drenthe, The Netherlands. You will find this campsite right at the entry of the forest, so you can hike straight from your tent or rental property. We stayed in one of the domes, which houses up to 4 guests. With a fully furnished kitchen and a toilet. The only thing you will need to leave the dome for is a shower. It is close to the beautiful nature reserve of Dwingeloo, where you can take beautiful hikes.

Buitenplaats Beekhuizen, a weekend getaway in The Netherlands

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.