Sightseeing

If you would like to arrive early, or stay a few days extra, there is lots to discover in and around Ermelo.

National Park “De Hoge Veluwe” (25 km)

The Park’s different landscapes are home to a wide diversity of plant and animal species. From the rare Fritillary to the imposing Red Deer, from the Alcon Blue to the Dwarf Viper’s-grass; they all live in the Park. The Park is also home to dozens of Red List species, such as the Wheatear, the Wryneck, the Moor Frog and the Grass Snake.

De Hoge Veluwe National Park follows a policy of active management. This means intervening in the natural landscape, as a varied landscape that is diverse in both plants and animals requires constant adjustments.

Without the intervention, the landscape would become increasingly uniform, with an ever smaller number of plants and animals able to survive within it. And that is exactly what the park hopes to prevent.

A landscape is largely defined by its vegetation. Maintaining a specific landscape means maintaining its vegetation. This, in turn, calls for the removal of certain species to make room for others or to ensure a greater variation in vegetation. Grazing animals – such as deer, roe deer, mouflons, and wild boars – help to naturally maintain the park’s biodiversity. In recent years, cattle have also been used for grazing, such as the Sortbroget Jysk Malkerace, a Danish heath breed.

Kröller-Müller Museum (29 km)

The Kröller-Müller museum is the second home of Vincent van Gogh. With almost 90 paintings and over 180 drawings owned by the museum, it is the second largest Van Gogh-collection in the world.

The Kröller-Müller museum is located in the heart of National Park “De Hoge Veluwe”, so it is an ideal “day out”. Combine culture with nature. Visit the museum followed by a walk through the park. And at the end of your tour you can relax and grab a bite in the Parkrestaurant “De Hoge Veluwe” (850 meters from the museum).

Odilon Redon Exhibition

When: 2 June – 9 September 2018
Where: Kröller-Müller Museum

In the summer of 2018, the Kröller-Müller Museum devotes a special exhibition to Odilon Redon (1840-1916). On the basis of some 100 works, the museum sheds new light on the way in which this French symbolist artist incorporated his love and extensive knowledge of literature and music into his paintings and drawings.

Fête de la Musique (Festival of Music)

When: Saturday, 23 June 2018
Where: Ermelo

The music festival “Fête de la Musique” first took place in 1982 in Paris. Ever since, the festival has become an international phenomenon, celebrated on the same day in more than 700 cities in 120 countries, including Germany, Italy, Greece, Russia, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, the United States, China, India, and Japan.

Amateur and professional musicians are encouraged to perform in the streets, under the slogan “Faites de la Musique” (“make music”). Many free performances are organized, making all genres of music accessible to the public.

Ermelosche schaapskooi (12 km)

The Ermelosche schaapskooi (“Ermelose sheepfold”) is home to some 400 Veluwse Heideschapen (“heath sheep”). The sheep are used for grazing of the Ermelosche Heide (“Ermelo heath”).

Bezoekerscentrum (“visitors center”)

Next to the sheep cage is the visitors center with a lot of information about the sheep and nature. Entrance is free.

The sheep cage and visitor center are at the edge of the Ermelosche Heide. There are numerous hiking trails, across the heath and through the adjacent forest area. There are also walks and hiking trails that run past the sheep cage. Directions are available in the visitors center.