Gravel biking in the Achterhoek, who wouldn't want that? A few years we discovered this region a while ago And then we were enthusiastic about the long white roads, the space and the peace. We have returned on multiple occasions, to ride a single route, or to enjoy the surroundings for a weekend. Actually, every time it was good. The Achterhoek is a paradise for gravel riders in the Netherlands. Perhaps they would like to keep that to themselves in the Achterhoek, but there is still enough room. This time we have been invited by Landal. Not just any Landal park, but the brand new The Bountiful is our destination. With a luxury wellness villa, complete with a private swimming pool, sauna, and all sorts of sustainability features. Gravel biking in luxury, then, in the Achterhoek! Or is that what it's all about? What do you think?
Achterhoek gravel paradise
Right, to cut to the chase: it's wonderful. Especially on warm summer days, your own splash pool is a luxury you're happy to have. Now, I'm not a creature of luxury by nature and I can do fine without it, but if you do have it... Oh, it's lovely. But to then write a whole story about cycling without mentioning the routes around The Bountiful to have, I find that a bit much too.
Because the location in Hengelo, the village in Gelderland, not the town in Enschede, means you are literally in the middle of the Achterhoek. You can head towards Montferland for a nice day trip, you can take a closer look at the castles around Vorden and Ruurlo, and you have beautiful nature and agricultural roads at your disposal. In fact, the nearest gravel strip is literally on your doorstep. You turn left out of the park and 50 metres further on you're off!
East
On my first gravel route, I'm going all out straight away. With almost 100km, of which almost 60 kilometres are unpaved/gravel/cobblestones, it's one to write home about. It's a variation on a route you can find on the Outdoor Achterhoek website. There are more gems to be found there, including for a nice bikepacking adventure in your own country. So this route goes via Ruurlo in the direction of Ruurlo, Beltrum, Neede, Geesteren and finally with a loop via Borculo back to Landal De Weelderik. You immediately start with a beautiful stretch through the forest near t Zelle. The long forest and sandy paths, we don't know those in other parts of the Netherlands. It is reminiscent of the long gravel paths in central or southern Germany. Pure enjoyment, then.
From Ruurlo, you twist and turn around small villages. You'll also incorporate a section of the Slinge MTB route, just outside Ruurlo. Furthermore, you'll encounter many narrow paths, also known as "kerkepaadjes" (church paths), which are alternated with stretches of asphalt before you ride through rapeseed fields again. You'll rarely encounter other gravel riders, perhaps the occasional lost local or an elderly couple on e-bikes. The church paths almost all have names, are narrow, and therefore, it's truly a route to savour. This isn't gravel race terrain. You also pass through the municipality of Berkelland, named after the river Berkel, which you'll cross a few times.
Hamlets
Towards the end of the route, you’ll come across the hamlet of Linde, just south of Vorden. There are a number of lovely gravel stretches here, where you just need to watch out for a tractor or a local coming the other way. When I cycle this route, the spring weather is lovely, the road isn’t too dusty yet, so you can really make the most of it. Back home, a drink and a lovely dip in the pool await. A visit to the sauna afterwards works wonders. #enjoy.
North
That the Achterhoek: Versatile As I've said a few times already. It's also a large area where you could easily get lost for a few days. I don't want to call a bikepacking route a ‘Achterhoek Divide’ yet, but the possibilities are there. If you have a fixed base camp, like we do at Landal De Weelderik, you can easily branch out in different directions. For our second route, we headed north. In our case, that means with a slight detour towards Kranenburg and then heading towards the Twenthekanaal, which forms a sort of natural boundary. Above that, you quickly get towards built-up areas, although around Harfsen and Laren, Gelderland, you can still find beautiful routes. But the lock at Almen is often a magnificent spot. We're not going there this time. We're now riding towards the forests of Velhorst and then on to Almen. A delightful route through green spaces and woodland, with another encounter with the Berkel river. From there, it's back via the Lage Lochemsweg towards Vorden, where you can also take in the forests and the hamlet of Linde. Magnificent. And at 55km, it's perfect for two hours of enjoyment. Afterwards, you can relax with friends or family by the swimming pool or do something else.
South
Zelhem has little appeal. At least, in my opinion. A former colleague of mine lives there and will certainly judge differently. It’s in the eye of the beholder. But when it comes to cycling, there is plenty of beautiful gravel to be found around Zelhem. I have been helped out there before. after a small crash. That was after I'd had a brilliant ride, by the way. Hengelo was also the base then. Now I've planned another route, this time almost 75km long, so between three and four hours of gravel fun. Highlights? Plenty to write home about, but the photos speak for themselves.
Other options
I’ve done a total of five rides, which I’ve compiled into a collection featuring a variety of lengths and directions. They’re all brilliant, really, because you start on gravel right from home and every route has at least 40–50% of unpaved sections – which is a real treat for many people from the Randstad.
Landal De Weelderik: a luxurious oasis in the Achterhoek
The park The Opulent of Landal is very new. The lodges are all top-notch, with a wonderfully spacious en-suite bathroom by the bedroom. We were in a 2-6 person lodge, where two bunk beds had been set up for the children. The four-person lodges are ideal if you are with four friends, or with two couples, or with teenagers.
The finish is luxurious, there is a home management system, a type of iPad with which you can control all the functions in the house. Nice details: a wine cooler filled with wines, which can be purchased at a reasonable price. Slightly more expensive than Gall & Gall, but they are already chilled and you don't have to choose them.
Even when you are at the park, there is a self-service store. Convenient for Nespresso cups, which you cannot (yet) buy in the shop. They also have games there, padel rackets for the free padel court and other items. Everything is accessible with your own code. This also applies to the bike rental and the bike storage, although I did park my fancy gravel bike inside the house for a bit. A shed would have been nice, but oh well, to each their own.
The pool and sauna are truly the selling points. The pool is perfectly warm, lovely for the summer, and just right in the spring. The sauna is smart and well-executed, and you can make good use of the bathrobes then.
The park is situated on the outskirts, there are activities for children and padel courts. The village of Hengelo is 2km away and offers all amenities. From here, you can easily reach Vorden or Ruurlo for castles, a bite to eat/drink or other activities. Doetinchem is also not far, as is the Hanseatic city. Zutphen.
Tips and tricks
- Pancakes are eaten at The Heikamp in Ruurlo. A lovely spot for your family too. There's a gnome trail and it's located on the MTB route. So tasty in multiple ways.
- If you go south then The Coat of Arms of Heeckeren A lovely place for lunch or a drink.
- You get ice cream in Hengelo at Langeler
- A fancy Italian? Trattoria Municipio In Hengelo is an unexpected highlight
- Are you looking for more routes? You'll find more on the Outdoor Achterhoek website.
If you wish to discover the Achterhoek from a different location, take a look at our previous visit to the region from Landal Stroombroek: Gravel routes in the Achterhoek: A weekend full of adventure from Landal GreenParks Stroombroek
One Response
What do you think of the Achterhoek as a gravel location?