🌳🌺Forest hike to 3 stunning arboretums & blooming rhododendrons! (21 km) 🌺🌳

It's still spring and nature has waken up becoming greener, time to go to the woods in the East of the country!
This is a varied 21 km hike starting in train station NS Ede-Wageningen through forests to arboretums and ending at bus stop in Wageningen.

We will hike through the Sysselt forests, passing prehistoric burial mounds and walking along the winding Molenbeek river. We will go further along the Wageningse Berg enjoying the beautiful view over the Rhine river and the Betuwe landscape. The walk ends in the famous 'Belmonte' botanical garden with its colorful blooming rhododendrons this period of the year. It is different of the famous Belmonte hike with some deviations passing different highlights and hidden gems.

Celtic field: bench & view point
This area was already inhabited in the Iron Age, 2500 years ago. Burial mounds and square so-called Celtic Fields are proof of this. These arose because, when cultivating the ground, people kept throwing branches, roots and stones along the edge of the field.

Estate Quadenoord and Sculpture garden
This versatile estate has been owned by one family for 130 years. It has a beautiful Africa art sculpture garden. The meadows, fields and forests with the Renkumse stream and sprengen form an attractive scenery.
https://www.quadenoord.nl/landgoed-quadenoord/

De Keijenberg Renkum Estate
This is a 178 hectare estate is part of Oostereng forestry. It is an open stream valley with meadows in a wooded area.

Arboretum 'Oostereng'
This is a small arboretum middle of the forest, with a meandering, sparsely marked path. This makes walking and exploring fun here.

Decking path Renkumse stream valley
This is a new nature reserve, when industrial estate 'Beukenlaan', with a paper factory and a rubber processing company, was cleared and re-designed as a natural part of the stream valley in 2013. Herewith, an ecological connection zone Renkumse Poort was created, so that wild animals (deers) can reach the floodplains from the Veluwe.
https://www.renkumsbeekdal.nl/doen-beleven/natuur/

Nol in 't Bosch restaurant or picknick
After 12 km, we will pass this restaurant, where we can have drinks/ lunch break, or by nice weather we can have a picknick in a nice spot.
https://www.nolintbosch.nl/nl

Nature park Oranje Nassau's Oord
This is an estate which mainly consists of pasture in the Renkums stream valley and forest located on the east side of the Wageningse Berg.

De Wageningse Berg and the Nederrijn river
The Wageningse Berg is part of the moraine between the Rhine and the Lunterse Goudsberg. The bottom material also mainly consists of rocks that have been brought in by the rivers. This place offers a beautiful view of the Rhine and the flat Betuwe landscape.

Arboretum 'Belmonte'
The former Belmonte estate is located on the Wageningse Berg. Among other things, there is a large collection of rhododendrons in this botanical garden, which is freely accessible.
https://belmontearboretum.nl/en/

Arboretum 'De Dreijen'
This is a nice old botanical garden from 1895 with beautiful trees, bushes and flowers. The garden was an initiative of Mr. L. Springer of the old Wageningen University.
https://www.hetdepot.nl/en/Arboreta/Algemene-informatie

Wageningen
The hike ends in Wageningen city, where we will pass ruins of a castle, but this city is famous for the capitulation of the German forces on May 5, 1945 in Hotel De Wereld. We can have some drinks in a café at the end.

Notifications

• Meet up contribution fee: Euro 5,- to be paid directly when signing up by tickie:
  https://www.ing.nl/payreq/m/?trxid=lOmVew24sVbyQkJsND1d4BGexcIWnzzF
• We walk fast at (4 to 5 km an hour average) with 2/3 breaks, you should be fit for it and used to long distance walks of -+ 20 km ;-).
• Be aware that the hike will take the whole day and that the ending time is approximate.
• Bring sufficient water, snacks and lunch, although we might stop at a restaurant.
• I advise to wear comfortable hiking shoes and gear with layers and a rain coat.
• Carpe Diem is an amateur activity group, participating is at your own risk.
• The hike might be cancelled or postponed in case of extreme bad weather or few people signed up. Check messages for last-minute updates the evening before.
• Please only sign up if you are attending to join. And change your RSVP if something unexpected occurs. Last-minutes cancellations are not appreciated and NO SHOWS will be recorded! No refund. Thank you.