One Of The Netherlands' Most Famous Nature Reserves Is A Giant Park Uniquely Blending Art And Natural Beauty

After ticking off a bucket list visit to Amsterdam, take a train toward the German border to explore a rare symphony of nature and art in De Hoge Veluwe National Park. The park covers more than 13,000 acres of lush pine woodlands, glittering fens, heathlands punctuated by tight bunches of purple heather, and shifting inland sand drifts. For active travelers, there are over 20 miles of cycling and hiking trails winding through forests and fields animated by herds of deer. But there's arts and culture, too, with the Kröller-Müller Museum housing one of the world's finest and largest Vincent van Gogh collections and the architectural gem, the Jachthuis, a distinctive 19th-century family home inspired by an English country house.

To reach De Hoge Veluwe National Park from Amsterdam, you'll take the train from Amsterdam Centraal Station to either Apeldoorn or Ede-Wageningen before boarding a bus to the park entrance. The journey takes an hour and 30 minutes. The entrance fee is approximately 14 euros (over $14), but you'll need to pay an additional fee (it costs about the same as the park entry) to visit the Kröller-Müller Museum. Entry to the museum is free for those with a Museumkaart (Netherlands museum pass).

As cycling is such a beloved national pastime in the Netherlands, you'll encounter cycles everywhere, and happily, you get a basic white cycle as part of the park's entrance fee. But for cyclists hoping for something more than the basic model, there are tandem bikes, tricycles, and electric bikes for between $10 and $25 a day.

De Hoge Veluwe National Park was created as the estate of Anton and Helene Kröller-Müller. Anton was a businessman, while Helene was a prominent art collector who filled their vast parklands with impressive sculptures like John Rädeker's stone statue "Roe Deer." Don't miss Henry Moore's "Three Upright Motives," which comprises three totem-esque slithers of bronze that look more like they were carved by the elements rather than the artist's hands. Marta Pan's "Floating Sculpture, Otterlo" is another impressive sculpture, a 6-foot fungal sculpture in the middle of a small pond. The park's dedicated sculpture garden features these works of art alongside over 150 other sculptures posed in gardens and alongside the forest's tree line. Eclectic pieces form striking monoliths, and elegant modernist structures double as climbing frames and amphitheater-style seating.

But by far, the most impressive collection of art in De Hoge Veluwe National Park is found in the Kröller-Müller Museum. There, you can find one of the world's biggest Vincent van Gogh collections outside of Amsterdam's best art museums. Ninety paintings and over 180 drawings on constant rotation, showcased alongside some of his contemporaries and influences. Wander through the exhibits to see, alongside Van Gogh's wonderful "Terrace of a Café at Night" and other famous works; engrossing works from Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, and Piet Mondriaan; and a roster of temporary exhibits.

You'll find wildlife amongst the park's dense forest paths and flourishing heathlands. Keep an eye out for red deer, wild boar, and the somewhat elusive mouflon. This non-endemic species of wild sheep was brought to the park as part of a rewilding project to increase biodiversity and help to maintain and control (read: eat) the grasses that otherwise would overwhelm heather populations.

These animals roam freely, resulting in unexpected encounters like sightings of stags with their majestic antlers and stout posture silhouetted against a sculptural masterpiece close to the museum. In the grasslands, you might see one of three species of snakes hunting small mammals or a fox's striking orange fur juxtaposed against a backdrop of velvety purple heather. Additionally, there are nearly 100 species of nesting birds, three species of amphibious lizards, and a population of wolves that park management is attempting to control.

While the wildlife of the De Hoge Veluwe National Park is invariably stunning, it's missing just one vital element symbolic of the Netherlands: the legendary tulips that color the gardens and countryside each spring. To get a glimpse of them, journey to the handsome tulip-laden cycling route endorsed by travel expert Rick Steves, located at the Keukenhof Gardens near Amsterdam.