Wageningen’s Trip Advisor

Did you know that Wageningen is surrounded by extraordinary nature and the biggest national park of the Netherlands? Have you ever seen small sailing boats passing enormous tanks at the Rijn? If you negate at least one of the questions, you have to tie your hiking shoes or make your bike ready and explore what Wageningen has to offer off campus.

Short-distance

If you only have time for a couple of hours or you want to escape your desk for a short break, only, then a walk to the river Rijn is perfect. Gather your friends during lunch time, get on your bikes and ride to the Rijn. Go for a walk there or just have a picnic or relaxed time on a blanket watching the boats that pass by. Of course, this is not only a nice trip for a short lunch break, but also for a nice evening with beer and wine watching the sunset.

If you live close to Marijke- or Haarweg, I can highly recommend to go for a run, walk or cycling trip to the close-by canal. It is only a short hop from the idealis buildings but it feels like being in a different world. To get to the canal, you go down Haarweg all the way, then to the right and at the end of that street, you see already a little bridge which you have to cross to get to the cycle path next to the canal. By bikes it is only a couple of minutes. Along the canal, there are also nice spots to cool your feed in the water.

Furthermore, which takes up some more time, you can cycle along the canal to Veenendaal and rent a Kano with which you can canoe on the canal. Maybe you can convince some friends to prepare a picnic next to the canal so you have something to look out for. Another place to escape the city and campus are the two botanical gardens Arboretum De Dreijen and Arboretum Belmonte both along the Generaal Foulkesweg. Walking through impressive trees, nice flowers and over green soft grass is especially in spring a great pleasure.

Medium-distance

If you want to go on a cycling trip, you do not even need to know the area very well, since there is a very understandable cycling network in and around Wageningen, namely the so called knooppunten. You can cycle from knooppunt (point of intersection) to knooppunt by following a white sign with a green number. On the maps along the way and at every point of intersection, you can check which number you have to follow next. If you see it, it is pretty self-explanatory.

Either by following the knooppunten network or by simply following the Rijn, you can have a one to two hour cycling tour to Arnhem – depending on how fast you cycle. In Arnhem you can have an ice cream, drink a coffee or go shopping and then cycle back – a perfect day. If you think it is too boring to cycle the same route back as you came, you can even go to the other side of the Rijn crossing the river over a bridge in Arnhem or taking a small ferry outside the city. Just before Wageningen, you can take another ferry back to the “right” side of the river.

Talking about ferries, there is another cute little ferry between Wageningen and Rhenen and next to the ferry, there is nice little restaurant called Blaauwe Kamer (Blue room). This is just a perfect destination for a short cycling trip with visitors or friends.

Long-distance

As soon as you are familiar with the knooppunten network, the cycling world of the Netherlands is open to you. Two really nice and recommendable destinations are Wijk bij Duurstede and the Veluwezoom and Hoge Veluwe. Wijk bij Duurstede is a really small, really Dutch village with an old mill and a cute little city centre. Cycling along the Rhijn, it should not more than two hours to get there from Wageningen. Of course, by making use of the knooppunten network, you can also take a longer route. I can recommend taking a snack at the little café in the mill and then just walking through the village. Further, just outside the village there is an old castle, Kasteel Duurestede, which is nice to visit.

The Veluewzoom and Hoge Veluwe are national parks. And in the Hoge Veluwe you are not allowed to enter without paying since the park is part of the Kröller-Müller Museum. Yet, especially at hot summer days, it is really nice to cycle in the shadows of the forest of the area. Just follow the knooppunten. A nice destination and place for a break is the Carnegie Cottage.

In general, don’t be afraid, you cannot get lost! So, go out and enjoy the Netherlands.