To be honest, this part of the Migration birds trail is not what I am looking forward to. Looking in the trail guide, all I see is farmlands from Langbroek to Amerongen. That will be a monotonous hike. But that turns out to be anything but true. Will you join me on this surprisingly fun part of the Migration birds trail?
Today I hike a section of the Migration birds trail, between Maarn and Langbroek in the Netherlands. First of all, I go back a bit on the trail, because last time I skipped nature reserve the Koeheuvels (Cow Hills). I’m glad about that in retrospect, because it turns out that the Koeheuvels and another trip off the trail, to watchtower De Kaap, are the most enjoyable part of the hike. Are you curious? I’ll tell you all about it.
Snow! Totally unexpectedly, I hike through a winter wonderland today! I start in Soesterberg and go via the Den Treek Henschoten estate past the pyramid of Austerlitz and via the town with the same name I continue through the forest to Maarn.
It has been about a year since I hiked a section of the Migration birds trail in the Netherlands. It is about time for another hike on this beautiful trail. Today, I will visit the towns of Lage Vuursche, Soest and Soesterberg, with many paths through the forest and along the heatherlands in bloom. At the last minute, I will also walk through the Soesterberg airbase park.
The heather season has not yet ended at the beginning of September (2021), so I am hiking another part of the Migration birds trail in the Netherlands. I travel to Baarn and have several options for the finish line: Hollandsche Rading, Lage Vuursche or perhaps Soesterberg. As you can see from the title, it has become Hollandsche Rading. On the way, I have been busy photographing the many mushrooms, heather and other flora and fauna. So the hike is not very long this time.
It is August (2021), I am still on my holiday and the Migration birds trail cannot be missed in my hiking series. The heather season (heather in bloom) has just started and the next part of the Migration birds trail goes over the heatherlands near Hilversum! So, the choice for a hike is easily made. Today, I walk a bit over the Bussumer heide (Bussumer heatherlands), but also over the Westerheide (Western heatherlands) and the Zuiderheide (Southern heatherlands). After that, the trail goes through the forest and over the Groeneveld estate towards Baarn.
This time, two hikes in one blog post. In the first hike, I’ll be walking through the Naardermeer nature reserve and then take an extra look at the fortified walls of Naarden-Vesting. In the second hike I return to Naarden-Vesting, but this time inside the walls. I then walk through Bussum and – for a change – through the polder towards the Bantam estate, where I encounter forest for the first time on this trail. Via the Spanders woods, Zanderij Crailoo nature bridge and the Bussumerheide (Bussumer heatherlands), I finally reach Hilversum Mediapark station.
It is now the end of May (2021) and once again I am going bird watching on the Migration birds trail in the Netherlands. In this part, I hike from the Gaasperzoom park in Amsterdam to Weesp, then I continue to the edge of the Naardermeer nature reserve.
It is time again for the Migration birds trail, this time I hike from parking lot Zeeburg, Amsterdam to Gaasperzoom park and metro stop Gein also in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. This part of the trail visits several parks in and just outside Amsterdam. These parks are not completely unknown to me, in the Diemer woods and Gaasper park I have been before.
In March 2021, I will return to the Migration birds trail for the third time this month. Today I will hike from Het Schouw to Schellingwoude in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Some hike it was! I pass through small towns with sweet little houses in the Waterland region, I have an unpleasant encounter with a goose, the weather is going all over the place, the birds sound like music to my ears and the journey takes a little longer than expected. In short, a great adventure. The comparison with a fairytale is easily made…
