Vecht Valley and Archemerberg

The Landscape

Around the Hanseatic town of Ommen, the Overijssel Vecht River gently winds through a landscape it has shaped over centuries. The river has carved out a wide valley here, rich in natural variety. You’ll find old river arms, flower-filled hayfields, forest edges, fertile floodplains and hedgerows, which together form the characteristic Vecht Valley landscape. Along the banks lie small fens, willow forests and meadows where cows graze peacefully. In spring, the hayfields turn golden with marsh marigolds and cuckoo flowers. In summer, water lilies bloom in the quiet pools. The surrounding sandy soils alternate with forests, heathlands and drifting sand dunes. Here and there, centuries-old farmsteads peek out, nestled among trees and hedgerows.

Between Ommen and Lemele, the Archemerberg rises slowly from the landscape. It is one of the most beautiful push moraines in Overijssel. At 78 meters high, it may not be a famous mountain, but it is full of character. You cycle through a varied landscape of blooming heath, drifting sand dunes, and quiet forests with Scots pines, oaks, and distinctive juniper bushes. From the top, you have a wide view over the Vecht Valley, a patchwork of forests, fields, estates, and the winding Vecht River. Glacial erratics from the Ice Age, old cart tracks, and remains of ancient earthworks tell the story of people who tamed the shifting sands and cultivated the land.