Cycling route National Park Veluwezoom and IJssel Valley
Cycling through a gently rolling natural landscape of forests, heathlands, drifting sand dunes, river levees, and stately estates.
The Landscape
National Park Veluwezoom is the oldest national park in the Netherlands and combines a vast, varied natural landscape with a striking relief formed during the last ice age. Thanks to its elevated terrain, dense forests, rolling heathlands, drifting sands and estate landscapes alternate smoothly, so the route constantly feels different.
What makes the Veluwezoom especially distinctive are its pronounced elevation changes, taking you up and down in short stretches, with viewpoints that reach far across the region. The Posbank is the best-known highlight, especially in late summer when the heath turns purple and your view extends towards the IJsselvallei, the Achterhoek and, on clear days, even beyond the border.
What You’ll Discover Along the Way
In National Park Veluwezoom, you ride through dense forests and across open heathlands, so the landscape constantly shifts between sheltered and expansive. On the higher ground, drifting sands, heathland edges and quiet paths create that characteristic Veluwe atmosphere, with a distinct feel in every season.
Around Dieren and Rheden, stately avenues, historic country estates and traditional farmsteads give the route a distinct estate character. You cycle past places where nature and culture have coexisted for generations, with glimpses of monumental buildings and park-like greenery.
Towards the IJssel Valley, the scenery shifts to natural levees, floodplains and dike roads, with wide views across the river landscape. Small streams and low-lying areas draining from the Veluwezoom feed into this system, making the transition from high to low especially varied.
The Veluwezoom is strikingly hilly, with short climbs and descents that continually reveal new panoramas. From the higher parts, you look out over the IJssel Valley, before gradually descending back towards the open land along the river.
Ride along with us on this virtual bike tour
Virtual cycling through National Park Veluwezoom and the IJssel Valley lets you experience the Veluwezoom with its forests, heathlands, drifting sands and well-known viewpoints such as the Posbank. The route feels varied thanks to the combination of sheltered forest paths and open heath, with clear elevation changes.
After that, the landscape opens out towards the IJssel Valley, where dikes, floodplains and natural levees create wide views along the river. With this mix of hills and river scenery, it’s an ideal virtual cycling route for those who want to train at home with a truly Dutch landscape as their backdrop.
Want to learn more about virtual cycling? THIS IS HOW VIRTUAL CYCLING WORKS
Route map and cycling junctions
Start and finish near cycling junction 63 on the Diepesteeg in Rheden. Because this is a circular route, you can also start at one of the other cycling junctions along the route.
Distance: 50 km
Estimated riding time: 3 hours 21 minutes
Elevation gain: 338 m
Paved roads: 80%
Unpaved / semi-paved: 20%
Ideal for: e-bikes and city bikes
Along the way: several options for a coffee break or lunch.
