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.
Utrecht
Migration birds trail: from Hollandsche Rading to Soesterberg – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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.
Recap long distance trail 6 Great rivers trail
I have now completed my first long-distance hiking trail (LAW): LAW 6 The Great Rivers trail. This trail goes from west to east in the Netherlands (or vice versa) and passes several major rivers in the Netherlands, such as the Nieuwe Waterweg, Oude Maas, Hollandse IJssel, Lek, Linge and the Waal.
Wooden shoes trail: Duck decoy trail – ⭐⭐⭐
Wooden shoes trails are fun! I liked the first wooden shoes trail trail I hiked so much that I quickly picked another one. In this blog, just a brief description of the trail, a few photos and a simple sketch to illustrate. Nothing more. No need for a hiking map, the info on the website is clear enough. This time I hiked the Eendenkooienpad (Duck decoy trail).
Overview hiking trails in the Green Heart
In September 2021, I completed the last hike from the booklet Green Heart trails of the ANWB. This booklet contains 43 round trails in the Green Heart region in the Netherlands. The booklet is no longer for sale and the hexagonal ANWB trail markings are outdated or no longer present everywhere, but the trails can still be hiked and found here and there on the internet. Therefore, I created an overview of where you can find these trails online. I also describe a top 5 of favourite hiking trails from this booklet.
Migration birds trail: from Baarn to Hollandsche Rading – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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.
Wooden shoes trail: Benedeneindse trail – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wooden shoes trails are great! I didn’t want to write a blog post about them at first, I have plenty other trails to do, but I am so enthusiastic about these paths. That’s why I created a shorter version for Wooden shoes trails, or in other words: a trail shortener. Just a short description, a few photos and a simple sketch to illustrate. That’s it. A hiking map is not necessary; the information on the website is clear enough. This time I hiked the Benedeneindse trail.
Hiking in the Green Heart: Bethlehem trail and Groene Jonker nature reserve – ⭐⭐⭐
In mid-August 2021, I have three weeks off, so that means a lot of hiking! I have already picked out several trails, including the second-to-last trail from the booklet Green Heart hikes: the Bethlehem trail. I am also very curious about the Groene Jonker nature reserve that is not far from the Bethlehem trail. I have heard great stories about it. I decide to combine the two trails. Both are around 5 km. But how do I get to the trails? That’s not easy as it is difficult to reach by public transport. Via an approach trail of approx. 3 km from Mijdrecht, I succeeded in making it a substantial hike.
Great rivers trail: from Vianen to Leerdam – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Great rivers trail is calling me. I do another checkup to see if the blossoms are already starting to bloom. This time, I am hiking from Vianen to Leerdam and, on the way, I pass through the Bolgerijse grienden woodlands nature reserve and along a number of high-rise tree orchards.
Great rivers trail: from Ameide to Vianen – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
After three times hiking on the Migration birds trail in a row, it is now the turn of the Great rivers trail again. The last time, I ended in Ameide. That is therefore my starting point for today. I walk along the river Lek, through the Zouweboezem nature reserve and via Lexmond through the polder to a suburb of Vianen. I pass several fruit orchards and am curious to see whether there is already some blossoms on the trees.