Theme Park Archeon
1 Archeonlaan, 2400 AP Alphen aan den Rijn
Tel: 0172-447744 www.archeon.nl
History in Action. Spend an historic day in prehistory, Roman times and the Middle Ages. Archeon has 43 buildings including farmhouses, huts, an inn, public bath and temple – all typical of one of these three eras. See Sights in Leiden.

Avifauna in Alphen a/d Rijn
Hoorn 65, boat service from The Hague, Leiden or Amsterdam.
Tel: 01720-87575. Open all year April-Oct. 
Avifauna is a recreational park with more than 450 types of exotic birds housed in areas matching their natural habitat. There are cruising boats from April to end-September, which may be boarded at Avifauna itself and it is possible to hire motor boats for private parties. See Sights in Leiden.

Het Twiske Recreational park
Watersports abound with so much water, it is an ideal location for a sailing school where sailing craft, canoes and rowing baots can be hired. A bicycle trip is an ideal way to reach the park from the back of Centraal Station in Amsterdam, with a ferry crossing to Amsterdam North, is around 12km (7.5 miles) round trip. The route is well marked. For further information, tel: 075-684 4338. See Amsterdam.

De Veluwezoom
The Veluwe National Park is bounded in the north by the former Zuiderzee (now the IJsselmeer) coastline, an area dominated by wild heather, pines and silver birch forest, heathland and sand dunes and in the south by the Rhine and Arnhem. The visitors centre in the Veluwezoom is situated at Heuvenseweg 5a, Rheden. Tel: 026-4979100. See Arnhem.

De Hoge Veluwe
The Hoge Veluwe is a nature reserve with lakes, heather deer, wild pigs etc. It’s perfect for some walking-tours. The Kroller-Muller Museum (located inside the park) has a fine collection including works by van Gogh and Rodin and is a real must-see in the Netherlands. You can reach the park easily by bus from Apeldoorn or Arnhem. See De Hoge Veluwe or Arnhem.

Biesbosch
The Biesbosch ("Reed Woods") is one of the largest natural parks of the Netherlands and one of the last fresh water tide areas in Europe. The system of rivers, creeks with islands, willow groves and reeds can mainly be reached only with a canoe or a small motorboat. Of course, much of the attraction of this wetland area lies in its impassability. Silence still reigns in the Biesbosch. See Dordrecht

National Park Zuid-Kennemerland
Zuid-Kennemerland is located in the province of Noord-Holland in an area bordered by IJmuiden, Santpoort, Bloemendaal and Zandvoort. The National Park also features some country estates, beach areas and the War Cemetery (WW II). With its varied scenery the national park is an area of great natural beauty. Cycling tracks and footpaths are clearly signposted. In the vicinity of Haarlem.

Schiermonnikoog – Isolated island
The island of Schiermonnikoog is bleak, beautiful and unforgettable. It is one of the Waddenzee Islands north of Friesland and Groningen and is the most isolated of the 5 Wadden islands, only accessible from the tiny port of Lauwersoog in northern Groningen. The mode of transport is by horseback, bicycle, on foot, or by the Balgexpress, a portable cabin on wheels, which is tractor-driven and it takes passengers around the beaches and on occasion in and out of the sea. See The Wadden Islands.

Dwingelderveld
The National Park Dwingelderveld is in the northern part of the Netherlands of Drenthe, about 25 km south of the city of Assen. Dwingelderveld has a unique mixture of nature, forest, heather, lots of small water-parts, and much more! Because of this diversity it is the home of a large number of animals and plants. A substantial part of them are rare! See Assen.

Weerribben – Canoeing, cycling, walking
This park lies in the north-west region of the province of Overijssel. Dominated by water and reeds and together with the neighbouring Wieden nature reserve, it is the most valuable marshland of north-west Europe. Canoe routes have been set out in the area with landing places and information boards, and there are also footpaths, bicycle paths and picnic spots. There are various guided tours, including boat trips and cycling excursions, visits to the duck decoy and outings especially for children. In the neighbourhood of Giethoorn, Steenwijk and north of Meppel. Hoogeweg 27, 8376 EM Ossenzijl, Phone: +31 561 47 72 72

De Grote Peel – Asten - Noord Brabant
De Peel national park is one of the few wild and inhospitable places left in the densely populated Netherlands. It aims to protect and ensure the survival of this landscape, but allows access to walkers via lonely trails through the boggy terrain. It has a varied and tranquil landschape with large stretches of water, which makes it an ideal nesting place for waterfowl and it has one of the most varied bird populations in western Europe. In the autumn, thousands of migratory birds use the Grote Peel as a resting place on their long trek south. In spring, around 95 bird species hatch here, including many black-headed gulls. See Eindhoven.

Drents Friese Wold National Park
The forestry of Smilde and Appelscha make up the Drents Friese Wold National Park, an vast area of forests, heather lands, peat bogs and drifting sands. The whole area is easily accessible because roads and cycling paths have been built. Bird lovers can enjoy their hobby in the Bird-watchers’ Hut in ‘Diependal’ near Speelstad Oranje throughout the year. The pools and plots of remaining peat give an impression of what the landscape of Drenthe used to look like. See Friesland.
Terwisscha 6a, 8426 SJ Appelscha tel: (0516) 46 40 20

De Meinweg - Limburg
Roermond is encircled by a green belt, which offers many opportunities for rambling or cycling. Nature reserves, such as the Meinweg National Park, the valley of the Leu (Leudal) and the Swalm and Roer rivers, provides an interesting variety of woodlands, heath and meadows. The artificial lakes of the Maasplassen is also in the neighberhood of Roermond, and is a well known water recreation centre with ideal conditions for surfers and swimmers. Meinweg 2, 6075 NA Herkenbosch, Limburg. Tel: (0475) 52 85 00 Fax: (0475) 52 85 19. See Roermond.

Utrechtse Heuvelrug
The Utrechtse Heuvelrug is a unique wilderness with many woods and moorlands. Over one hundred bird species breed here. Deer, foxes, badgers, squirrels and the rare pine marten inhabit the area. The Heuvelrug is a hiking and biking region par excellence. In the area is Kasteel Huis Doorn, the castle where emperor Wilhelm spent his final years following his exile from Germany in the aftermath of World War I. There are many other towns and villages closeby, including Utrecht with its ancient Dom tower, canals and water-level fronts and its museums. See Utrecht.

Sallandse Heuvelrug – Overijssel
This area is a protected nature reserve and one of the few areas in the Netherlands where you can spot the black wild grouse in their natural habitat. Walkers can buy a ticket from the forest rangers at the visitors centre at Nijverdal for permission to walk through the reserve. Cyclists go over the hill range formed in the last ice age that now delineates the Salland/Twente border. The scenery is beautiful consisting largely of ancient forests and heathlands. See Nijverdal and Almelo. Grotestraat 281, 7441 GS Nijverdal Tel: (0548) 61 27 11

Nationaal Park Lauwersmeer
Lauwersland lies off the two northern provinces: Groningen and Friesland. It was created in 1969 when a dyke was built between the Lauwer Sea (Lauwerszee) and the Wadden Sea (Waddenzee). Lauwersland is ideal for water lovers. The smallest waterways are accessible to kayaks and canoes and pleasure boats can also be hired. There is overnight accommodation in well-fitted marinas. Sailors and windsurfers can do their favorite sport on Lauwer Lake or the Wadden Sea. For more information see Friesland and Dokkum.

Drentsche Aa
The beautiful scenery; the special nature along the creek; the peace and quiet. It meanders its way through the landscape, just like it has been doing for hundreds of years. The Drentsche Aa area has a number of visitors centres across the entire area. Hire a bicycle to discover the Drentse Aa on two wheels. See region of Assen. National stream and esdorp landscape Drentse Aa, NL-9400 AC Assen, Tel: +31 (0)592 365555 fax: +31 (0)592) 365422.

National Park Dunes of Texel
National Parks are extensive nature areas with important natural assets and many opportunities to enjoy them, this applies to the Dunes on Texel. Hiking and bicycling paths in a well thought-out manner, help to conserve nature and recreation. In the Dune Park there are laid-out paths where one can walk around with or without a guide. EcoMare is open daily from 9.00 a.m.-5.00 p.m. For more information see The The Wadden Islands. Ruijslaan 92, 1796 AZ De Koog.Tel. 0222-317458