Summer Fun in and Around Apeldoorn, Vol. 1

07.07.2022

While many Wittenborg students will visit their families in their home countries or travel around Europe during the summer break, others will also stay in Apeldoorn. For the latter, it is a great opportunity to get to know the green and royal town, as well as the surrounding area. This summer, we will publish a series of articles about things to see and experience in and around Apeldoorn. In this article, we take look at opportunities to partake in one of the favourite pastimes of the Dutch: swimming.

If you have ever tuned into the Summer Olympics, you know swimming and the Netherlands are a match made in heaven. From jumping off bridges into rivers and canals on blistering summer days, to diving into the ice cold ocean on New Year's Day, the Dutch cannot seem to stay away from water. If you too love swimming, Apeldoorn, although not exactly close to the ocean, is a great place to be.

Bussloo, Kievitsveld and Hardewijk

You don't need to go to the ocean to go to the beach! Instead, you can go to Bussloo, which is situated right next to Apeldoorn and is easily accessible by bike or public transport. There you will find a lively recreation area featuring restaurants, mini-golf courses and more, as well as a lovely lake featuring soft, sandy beaches, which are freely accessible. For more information (in Dutch), see here.

If you are looking for something a little more adventurous, we can also recommend Kievitsveld, which is as close to Apeldoorn as Bussloo. Although its recreational area and beach are lovely, Kievitsveld is even better known for the Burnside Cablepark, in which you can waterski and wakeboard. For more information (in Dutch), see here.

If you want to combine your day at the beach with visiting a new city and don't mind travelling a little (yet not nearly as much as it would take you to go to the coast), consider going to Harderwijk, which is about an hour away by train. This city features both a busy, historical city centre and, just a short walk away, a lively, sandy beach, due to the town's location next to the lake, the Wolderwijd, created as a result of the gaining of land in Southern Flevoland in 1967. This beach is known for its shallow, knee-high waters, more suited to wading than swimming, so it is also a good destination for non-swimmers. For more information, see here.

Boschbad

If you prefer pools, then you are also in the right place this summer, as Apeldoorn is the home of the Boschbad, the largest outdoor swimming pool in the Netherlands. Aside from being the largest, it is also considered to be the prettiest by many, due to its location at the edge of the forest.

Not only does it have both an Olympic size swimming pool for the serious swimmers as well as a large shallow pool for those who just want to wade around in the water a little to cool down, but it also features a snack bar as well as a popular mini-golf course. Oh, and water slides! For more information, see here.

For more things to do in and around Apeldoorn, keep an eye out for Vol. 2!