National Park De Sallandse Heuvelrug - Nationalpark De Sallandse Heuvelrug

Hills give a landscape a special charm, certainly in a flat country like the Netherlands. And that's what makes the national park so special De Sallandse Heuvelrug in Overijssel. It has something of a foreign character, where the horizon is never straight. You can see this national park from afar. Because something is quickly called a mountain in the Netherlands, the Sallandse Heuvelrug also consists of "mountains" such as the Hellendoornse Berg, de, Haarlerberg, de, Holterberg, the Sprengenberg and the Koningsbelt. This last one is the highest, it rises at least 75.5 m above sea level. But it's not even about the height, but about the gradient, which gives the forest paths and heather fields something extra. The Sallandse Heuvelrug is an approximately 5000 hectare perfect area for hikes and bike tours with surprising views. Around 2700 hectares of this, south of the Nijverdal - Raalte road, form the national park.

background

history

The landscape of the Sallandse Heuvelrug (Sallander hill ridge) was formed in a distant past by shifting ice, melt water and drifting sand. Humans also left their traces, 5000 years ago.

The current state of the area has arisen mainly in the last few centuries. Sand drifts. Caused by too much grassing of the heather fields, they were restricted at the beginning of the last century by planting forests.

Two ice ages contributed to the formation of the Sallandse Heuvelrug at. Around 150,000 years ago, an ice cap 100 to 400 m thick covered the northern half of the Netherlands. Rock was brought from Scandinavia to this ice cap, and as the climate got warmer, the ice cap retreated. A terminal moraine remained, consisting of stone, sand and layers of boulder clay. Melt water looked for a way down and washed away the terminal moraine in whole or in part in some places. The meltwater on the ridge of the hill formed the ups and downs as we know them today. In the last ice age around 100,000 years ago, the ice cap no longer reached the Heuvelrug. The earth was frozen solid and bare and a strong wind was blowing, which deposited a thick layer of fine sand on the remains of the terminal moraine.

• Heath formation

After the last ice age, the Netherlands managed to get by in a temperate climatic zone where forests could develop. For prehistoric man that was Sallandse Heuvelrug an attractive area. The oldest traces of settlement are around 5000 years old and consist of burial mounds and flint tools.

After a period in which humans visited the area as hunters and gatherers, they developed into arable farmers. Parts of the deciduous forest were cut down or burned, the resulting open areas were used for agriculture for several years. Once the soil was depleted, a new piece of forest was cleared. Haide was able to develop on the depleted and nutrient-poor soils that remained, and it has been known since the Middle Ages that manure makes the soil fertile. The sheep and goats that grazed on the heather during the day brought the night together potstal by leaving the dung behind. The grassing by sheep and goats made the development of the forest impossible: all young shoots were eaten directly.

• Heather cultivation

At the beginning of the 20th century was the Sallandse Heuvelrug still covered almost exclusively with heather, but that did not last long. Some parts of the heather were grassed so intensely that the vegetation disappeared and the wind and sand were given a free hand. In 1899 it became State Army Army (State Forestry Office) founded. One of his goals was to forest the sand drifts and parts of the heather.

Many of the trees that are on the Heuvelrug were used in the mines in South Limburg. There they served as a stamp in the shaft entrances. With this in mind, mainly pines were planted.

• Mass tourism and national park

On the Sallandse Heuvelrug the wealth of nature was already at the beginning of the 20th century. discovered a time of rest in a luxurious setting. With the development of mass recreation, the pressure on the area to recover has increased sharply in recent decades. For forests and heaths, the emphasis was placed on their value for recreation and education in addition to the preservation of nature and wood production.

The National Park De Sallandse Heuvelrug was established in October 2004. The area of ​​around 35 m² is managed by different owners.

landscape

Map of the National Park De Sallandse Heuvelrug

• pagan

Heath fields are old cultural landscapes with a high natural value. They desand as a result of long-lasting grassing of nutrient-poor soil. The fertilizer was the end for that Potstal (in which the sheep's dung "matured" for a year before it was mucked out) and made the shepherd and his flock breadless. Mixing stabbed heather and manure was no longer necessary. Nutrients from rainwater made the grass grow better, with the blue pipegrass gradually displacing the heather. Without active support from grassland and pest, the lower heather fields would change into a forest with the time.

• "Hanging water"

Most of the Sallandse Heuvelrug lies high and dry. Because the soil consists mainly of sand, plant species grow here that can tolerate poor nutrients and drought. Common heather dominates in the dry areas and blue pipe-grass in areas that are slightly more humid and loamy. In general, the biodiversity on the heath is not that great, but it is quite typical. The juniper, which forms dense shrubs in places, is very noticeable. The subsoil of coarse sand and the top layer of fine sand mean that the higher vegetation is not fed by the groundwater, which is sometimes many meters below. In the upper layer, the vegetation is dependent on so-called "hanging water": precipitation that is retained in the uppermost layer of the earth. Most of the nutrients in precipitation seep away with the water in the sand and have little influence there on the food supply of trees and plants.

• Forest

The Sallandse Heuvelrug Consists of a variety of forest species. Almost all types of forest grow outside the area of ​​the groundwater and are therefore not accessible to "hanging water".

Around the Sprengenberg you can see from the regular planting that the forest has been laid down. Until the end of the 20th century, on the high, dry sandy soil mainly pines have been planted, then in recent years also many larches and Douglas firs. Spontaneous expulsion of birch, oak and beech has turned the coniferous forests into a mixed forest.

The more open deciduous forests have a ground cover made up of shrubs such as rowan berries and buckthorn. Locally, rhododendrons appear en masse. This shrub was cultivated for years on the Duss of the Sprengerberg and has also spread in the area around the former breeding farm. Under the shrub there grows a very varied layer of herbs with rare plant species such as Weisswurze and two-leaved shade flower. The occurrence of blueberries and lingonberries and - at the transition from the forest to the heather - cranberries are also significant. A species that is of great importance in winter for the black grouse, but also for other berry-eaters.

• Vennes

There are some especially on the west side of the area Vennes ("Moorseen"), which lately from Natural monuments were restored. This includes the Fazantenweide, which is also open to the public.

Flora and fauna

The largest mammal on the Sallandse Heuvelrug is the deer. Fox, badger and beech marten also occur. Polecats, weasels and ermines live where the forest turns into cultivated land. Different bat species use old hollow trees as resting places in winter and for rearing young animals.

Reptiles and amphibians lead an existence in secret and it is a coincidence when a frog or a toad, a lizard or a snake crosses your path. If you take the time to observe a little longer in sunny places in the heather or on the bank of a pond or ditch, you can give chance a little a boost.

Over 75 species of birds breed in the national park. The rarest are the stonechat, raven, goat milker and of course the black grouse. In the old coniferous forests the coal tit, crested tit and crossbill can be found and birds of prey such as the honey buzzard and hawk can also be heard. The deciduous forests provide a good home for the nuthatch, the small woodpecker and the grosbeak.

In the Netherlands, the goat milker is a genus that is particularly tied to the heather. The bird can mainly be found on the heather and in the open forest areas of the national park 'De Sallandse Heuvelrug'; he prefers the edges of the heather. It is only found briefly in the Netherlands, only during the breeding season from May to August. Then he looks for more southerly regions again.

Visitor center

Grotestraat 281, Nijverdal, Tel. 0548-612711. Mailing address: Staatsbosbeheer, Propaanstraat 9, 7463 PN Rijssen.

The visitor center Sallandse Heuvelrug is on the edge of the nature reserve on the Nijverdal-Zwolle road. From various hilltops on the Sallandse Heuvelrug there is a good view of the undulating landscape. The extensive heather areas are among the most beautiful in the Netherlands. A permanent exhibition in the visitor center gives an interesting picture of the creation of the landscape. Many walking routes are exposed in the nature reserve, from 4 to 14 km. Bicycle routes are also available, e.g. B. 25 km over the Sallandse Heuvelrug.

opening hours: Winter: from ov to feb tue-sun 10 am-4pm; summer: from march to oct tue-sun 10 am-5pm on Mondays and on December 25th, December 31st and 1st 1. closed.

getting there

By car

The park's visitor center is on the N35 between Nijverdal and Raalte. This road is developed as a motorway between Enschede and Almelo. A few kilometers after it becomes a country road again, Nijverdal already follows. The NP begins behind the village.

From the south (Arnhem) Coming here you first take the A50 (direction Zwplle), at Kreuz Beekbergen on to the A1 Deventer and at exit 24 (Deventer Oost) the N348 to Raalte. In Raalte you drive a short distance on the N35 until shortly before Nijverdal.

With public transport

• from Enschede:

A local train travels from Enschede to Nijverdal. Every 30 minutes a train (.17, .47) leaves platform 2 every 30 minutes. The journey takes 39 minutes. A NS bus then leaves at .12 and .42 monday to Nijverdal West train station. From there it is a 10-minute walk to the visitor center.

• from Zwolle:

The local train from Zwolle to Nijverdal West runs Mon-Sun every 30 minutes (.04, .34) from platform 3a, 5a or 5b. The journey takes 8 minutes. From the train station you can get to the visitor center in around 10 minutes.

Fees / permits

Like the visitor center, the national park is free of charge.

mobility

From Nijverdal to Holten there is a road connection over the Sallandse Heuvelrug, the sa also between 10.57 and 15.57 from the bus route 58 from Syntus is driven on. The boarding stop is the visitor center in Nijverdal, the exit is the train station in Holten (or vice versa). The journey takes around 20 minutes.

There are also many cycle and footpaths - many of them also marked - through the nature park. Routes are available from the visitor center.

Tourist Attractions

activities

• Speelbospad A 2 km play forest path begins at the Nijverdal visitor center. Huts can be built here or the kids can visit a badger castle. This forest path was created specifically for children. The focus is therefore not on walking or hiking - dad and mom can do that on their own - but playing. Those who follow the paths will come to the "attractions" like the suspension bridge, the sand slope (where sand lizards sunbathe), the climbing tree and the twisting rope. The play forest path is accessible free of charge, the route description is available at the visitor center for a small fee.

• Hellendoorn Adventure Park Luttenbergerweg 22, Hellendoorn, Tel. 0548-655555.

Amusement park north of the national park in the more touristy part of the Sallandse Heuvelrug with over 30 attractions and shows. Open April 2 to October 31, 2010.

• Swimming pool "Het Ravijn" Piet Heinweg 16, Nijverdal, Tel .: 0548-613516.

Indoor and outdoor pools with many pools and activities. Prices: Adults € 2.90; Youth / 65 € 2.30.

to buy

to eat and drink

• "De Hooischuur" pancake restaurant Koersendijk 7, Nijverdal, Tel: 0548-623333.

Pancake restaurant with a very extensive menu. Opening hours: Wed-Fri from 4 p.m., sat from 2 p.m. mo tue closed.

Sleep

Hotels and hostels

camping

• "Twilhaar" natural tent site Almeloseweg (N35), Nijverdal / Haarle. Tel. 06-21266667 (mobile).

Twil hair located 2 km west of the visitor center in the national park. It's incredibly relaxing when you come up the stupid mountain from Nijverdal, along the certainly not quiet N35 and suddenly you turn into a forest path and after a short time you land in the middle of the forest and - peace. If you want it to be absolutely quiet, you can pitch your tent in one of the niches between the beeches, birches and bushes. But of course there is also a large field where a campfire can burn or just play.

Opening hours: 1.4.-1.11. Prices: Adults € 4.50; Children (3-12) € 3.50; tent / caravan / camper € 4.00; small tent € 2.00; Tourist tax € 0.47.

• "De Rietkraag" natural camping site Weerdhuisweg 44b, Lemelerveld, Tel. 0572-372601. This specially designed natural camping site is located 1 km from the village of Lemelerveld on the Overijsselsch Kanaal. There are many forests in the immediate vicinity, but also open landscapes.

Opening hours: 1.4.-31.10. Prices: Adults € 5.00; Children (3-12) € 2.50; Car / motorcycle € 2.00; Tent / caravan € 4.00; Motorhome € 6.00; Small tent € 3.00; Tourist tax € 0.50; Environmental tax € 0.50.

security

trips

• Sallandse Heuvelrug cycle route The route description is Dutch but easy to understand.

literature

Web links

National park website (also in German and English)