Rural Holland - Gelderland & De Hoge Veluwe Park

Day 1: Arrival in Otterlo
Day 2: Otterlo - Oosterbeek, 31 mi. (49 km)
Day 3: Otterlo - Arnhem, 32 mi. (52 km) 
Day 4: Visit Hoge Veluwe National Park
Day 5: Hap and Trap
Day 6: Departure or extension of tour

All distances are approximate. Due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather conditions or provisions issued by local authorities, the itinerary may be subject to some changes before and/or during your holiday. For example, along the route, you may find temporary deviations/detours necessary due to roadwork that will not be reflected on your maps or route descriptions. In this case, please follow the directions posted locally.

Day 1: Arrival in Otterlo
Otterlo is a village in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in the province of Gelderland. You will have your choice of two accommodations and price levels, based on availability. After picking up your rental bike, you may want to take a ride around Otterlo or stroll the quaint town.

Day 2: Otterlo - Oosterbeek, 31 mi. (49 km)
Today's route leads through a beautiful nature reserve on excellent cycle paths. The route runs for the most part through the area of Operation Market Garden. Operation Market Garden was one of the biggest Allied operations in WWII and occurred in September 1944. The operation aimed to conquer the bridges across the Meuse, Waal, and Rhine Rivers in Holland. This would allow Allied troops to avoid the Siegfried line, a defense line running from Switzerland to Kleve. It was hoped that a quick advance to the Ruhr area and Berlin would put an end to the war around Christmas. The bridges in Eindhoven and Nijmegen were captured intact but the Allied forces failed to conquer the last bridge near Arnhem: it was a 'bridge too far.' The route passes the Airborne War Cemetary and the Airborne Museum Hartenstein. As you bike, you will come across memorials in various places. You may consider a visit to Castle Doorwerth which was in the line of fire and seriously damaged in 1944. Today it is a  hunting museum. It is strongly suggested that you consider booking our guide, a specialist in WW II history,  for this day and Day 3.

Day 3: Otterlo - Arnhem, 32 mi. (52 km) 
Leaving Otterlo, you will cycle along beautiful moors and forests, on excellent bike paths. You may encounter sheep, cattle, deer, and perhaps, a wild boar. The city of Arnhem was badly hit during  WWII. In 1944, there was bitter fighting between the Allies and the German troops. The goal of the Allies to conquer the bridge over the Rhine failed miserably at a great loss of lives.  You will pedal over this hard-fought bridge. The Airborne Museum at the Bridge is worth a visit. Though small, it is very informative, providing information about Arnhem, the bridge, the battles, and the people.  As well, Arnhem"s War Museum is on the route. The museum is a private museum, dedicated to keeping alive the memory of this important episode in history and to preserving a unique collection for posterity.  A huge German bunker, a Luftwaffe Commando Center is also on the route. Again, this route will be best experienced with a guide.

Day 4: Visit Hoge Veluwe National Park
Hoge Veluwe National Park (Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe) occupies an area of 13,750 acres, is the largest continuous nature reserve in the country, and is notable for its diversity of scenery, from dense forests to high sand dunes. It is home to an abundance of wildlife, including deer, wild boar, and mouflon. It's also an important sanctuary for birds and has long been a popular destination for bird watchers.  As with so much of the Netherlands, Hoge Veluwe National Park is predominantly flat, making touring by bike one of the best ways to enjoy its magnificent scenery. This park was once owned by the Kröller-Müller family and a stop at their main residence, St. Hubertus, a magnificent mansion, completed in 1923, will be noteworthy. A visit within is only possible with guided tours. However, the other highlight of this park are the Kröller-Müller Museum and Sculpture Garden, which houses an amazing collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures. There are 280 paintings and drawings by Vincent Van Gogh alone. To enter the park, you must pay an entrance fee and it is highly recommended to include a visit to the museum. It is a must-see!

Day 5: Hap & Trap, Otterlo - Kootwijk - Harskamp - Otterlo, 30 mi. (48 km) 
What is this you ask? Literally translated, this means 'Eat & Pedal', a cycling experience that entails pedaling from one restaurant to another with all that is Holland in between! Wonderful bike paths, incredible cycling atmosphere and infrastructure, forests, heather fields, sand dunes, and more are your landscape on this "De Caitwicker" route. In Otterlo, you report to the restaurant "De Waldhoorn" at 10 am where you will enjoy coffee and a snack, lunch will be at the Restaurant De Brinkhof or  "t Hilletje" in Kootwyk, followed by an appetizer at the restaurant "De Vergulde Leeuw" in Harskamp, and finally dinner at De Waldhoorn back at your starting point!

In your final travel information, you will receive the GPS tracks with the route descriptions for this day and for each of the routes. 

Day 6: Departure or extension of tour

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You will be based in Otterlo, where you will cycle out each day. You will stay in the 3-star Grand Cafe Hotel Kruller and can request an upgrade to the 4-star Hotel De Sterrenberg.