CYCLING ROUTE · GELDERLAND
Cycling Route Northern Valley and Speulder en Sprielder Forest
Cycle through the Northern Valley and the ancient Speulder en Sprielder Forest, where wooded landscapes, heathland, open fields and quiet country roads create a varied cycling experience in the heart of the Veluwe.
The Landscape
When the glaciers retreated around 150,000 years ago, they left behind a varied landscape of higher sandy ridges and lower valleys. On the Veluwe, vast forests and heathlands developed, while in the Northern Valley a small-scale mosaic emerged of grasslands, streams and farmland.
Today, that transition forms the heart of the route: from quiet forest sections with gnarled oaks to open farmland with hedgerows, hay meadows and small patches of heath. Among prehistoric burial mounds and historic country estates, you can sense how nature and culture have coexisted here for centuries, each strengthening the other.
What You'll Discover Along the Way
Forests and Heaths
In the Speulder en Sprielder Forest, you cycle through one of the Veluwe's most distinctive woodlands, with twisting oaks and long, quiet forest avenues. Where the forest opens up, heathlands and sandy paths appear, creating a constant shift between shelter and wide open views.
Estates and Heritage
Along country estates such as Landgoed Schovenhorst, you ride along quiet lanes lined with stately rows of trees and carefully managed woodland plots. Along the way, you encounter traces of a long history, from burial mounds to historic forest structures that give the landscape its rhythm.
Polders and Farmlands
As you leave the forest edge, the Northern Valley unfolds into a gentle landscape of meadows, fields and scattered farmsteads. You follow quiet, low-traffic roads with wide views, where the farmland forms a calm counterpoint to the Veluwe forests.
Hills and Valleys
This cycling route reveals the change in elevation between the higher Veluwe and the lower-lying valley, giving the landscape a gentle, rolling feel along the way. In the transition zone, water and relief shape the scenery, with wet lowlands, streams and green fringes adding extra variety to the route.
Virtual Cycling Through the Northern Valley and Speulder en Sprielder Forest
Virtually cycle through the Northern Valley and the Speulder en Sprielder Forest, from quiet forest avenues and twisting oaks to open valley landscapes with hay meadows, fields and small patches of heath. Experience the contrast between sheltered woodland paths and wide open views, with the gentle change in elevation between the Veluwe and the valley adding variety to the ride.
Experience the route from home with virtual cycling.
Route Map and Cycling Junctions
Start and finish at cycling junction 56 on the Arnhemse Karweg in Putten. Because this is a circular route, you can also start at one of the other cycling junctions along the route.
Route Details
Along the way: several options for a coffee break or lunch.
Discover More Cycling Routes
Explore more Gelderland landscapes and find your next cycling adventure in nature.
EXPLORE ALL CYCLING ROUTES IN GELDERLAND →
