The wooded east consists
of the provinces of Overijssel, Flevoland
and Gelderland.
Overijssel
The province of Overijssel is a region with great
variety. In the little town of Giethoorn, small
canals take the place of streets, and all transport is by boat.
At Wanneperveen there is a well-equipped watersports
centre. The old Hanseatic towns of Kampen and Zwolle
have splendid quays and historic buildings. There are bird sanctuaries
along the Ijsselmeer.
Gelderland
Gelderland is The Netherland’s most extensive province, stretching
from the rivers of the south to the sand dunes of the north. Gelderland
is often referred to as the back garden of the west.
Arnhem
The province’s major city was heavily damaged during World
War II, and its important position on the Rhine has led to it being
captured, stormed and occupied on many occasions during its long
history. The old part of the town has, been artfully rebuilt. There
is a large open-air museum near Arnhem showing
a collection of old farms, houses, mills and workshops, all of which
have been brought together to form a wonderful park. Not far from
the town centre, is a zoo and a safari park.
Hoge
Veluwe National Park
Located close to Arnhem is the Hoge Veluwe National Park,
an extensive sandy region and a popular tourist area, which contains
a game reserve, in the south, and the Kroller-Muller Art
Gallery and Museum, with many modern sculptures and paintings,
including a Van Gogh collection. One ticket enables the visitor
to see all of this, and there are free bicycles available to cycle
around the park.
Almost all of the old traditional villages have been converted into
holiday resorts. There are no towns of any size located in the Veluwe
region.
Flevoland
Much of Flevoland was drained for the first time in the 1950-60s,
and is in many ways a museum of geography, the southern part of
the province is not yet completely ready for cultivation, and visitors
can witness the various stages of agricultural preparation. Lelystad
is the main town of the region, built to a controversial design
in the 1960s. Part of the province has also been designated as an
overspill area for Randstad Holland. Flevoland’s
1100 sq km (425 sq miles) of land includes many large bungalow parks. |
