10 Best Winter Hikes in the Netherlands

Breathe the fresh winter air and feel that satisfying crunch of frosty grass underfoot. Winter has come around again and we want to enjoy it! One of our favourite ways to make the most of a bright winter’s day in the Netherlands is on a hike. Are there any good hiking and walking trails in the Netherlands? Yes! Here they are!

There are lots actually, but we’ve compiled a list of the best hikes and walks you should take on this winter. We’re featuring long distance walking paths and also shorter ones, just in case you aren’t feeling up to a 5 hour winter walk. Which is totally understandable. Remember! There’ll always be a hot cup of coffee or hot chocolate at the end.

You can also find all of these and more on our map.

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1. Kralingse Park City Views Loop (South Holland)

It's a beautiful winter morning in Rotterdam and you don’t want to waste those few sunny daylight hours inside museums and art galleries. So, what do you do? You head over to Kralingse Park, an urban oasis just a short journey from the city centre.

Wander the frosty forest as you walk around Kralingse Lake. Immerse yourself in nature whilst enjoying the view of Rotterdam’s skyline. This loop is frequented by locals and joggers and even though you’re in a city make sure you’ve got some good walking shoes on. 

Just under 10km, the hike should take around 2 and a half hours. Stop off and warm up at one of the Kralingse park’s cafes for a hot drink after. If you are looking for a city-based Netherlands winter hike that is easily accessible by public transport, you can’t get much better than this.

Walk Details

Address:🧭 Voorschoterlaan, 3062 KN Rotterdam, Netherlands

Length: 9.8km
Difficulty: Intermediate
Map & GPX:  Available here.

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2. Kinderdijkpad Windmill Route (South Holland)

If you’re lucky enough to be wandering around Kinderdijk after a snowfall, you would be walking through the ultimate Dutch winter wonderland. Kinderdijk is famous for its postcard perfect windmill-lined waterways. Chances are it won’t be snowy - unfortunately. But, a frosty, atmospheric winter day is still the great time to stroll along the river banks here and enjoy the classic Dutch setting. 

Walks at Kinderdijk are easily customizable but we highly recommend the 7.4km route, Kinderdijkpad. It's perfect for kids! You can make the hike even longer (11km!) if you want more of a challenge. This is one of our favourite Netherlands hikes and the perfect place to make the most of the Netherlands outdoors in winter. 

Walk Details

Address:🧭 2961 AK Kinderdijk, Netherlands

Length: 7.4 km
Difficulty: Easy
Map & GPX: Available here.

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3. Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes Wildlife Route (North Holland)

Looking for a family-friendly hiking option? Check out the first of our Amsterdam-based winter walk suggestions. Near the town of Haarlem is the Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, aka Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes. There are plenty of hiking routes to choose from, ranging between 3 and 30km.

Enjoy a winter trek through the forests, over the dunes and around the lakes. During the winter months the nature reserve is extra quiet, which means you’ll have more chances to spot wildlife like deer and foxes. We picked this 17km loop because it maximises your chances of seeing some wintery wildlife. You’re looking at around 4 hours of walking so we recommend this for fairly experienced walkers.

Walk Details

Address:🧭 1e Leijweg 4, Vogelenzang, Netherlands

Length: 16.9km
Difficulty: Intermediate
Map & GPX: Available here.

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4. Twickle Castle Umfassungsweg Route (Overjissel)

This hidden gem hike comes with a bonus, a castle! A short drive from Delden is Twickle Castle. The castle estate and gardens have lots of great options for winter walks and hikes, so it easily made our top recommendations. Routes range from 2 to 11km, so there is something here for everyone.

Another on our list of the best hikes in the Netherlands is the off the beaten track Umassungsweg Loop. Discover the heart of the Twickle estate on this 10km trail which takes you through the forests, meadows and along board walks. You’re looking at just under 3 hours of hiking, oh and definitely bring your boots for this one, it can get muddy! 

Walk Details

Address:🧭 Landgoedwinkel Twickel Twickelerlaan 7

Length: 10km
Difficulty: Easy
Signage: Marked UW wooden posts.

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5. Zeeland Coastal Walk (Zeeland)

We had to include a winter beach walk! And of course we had to recommend one in Zeeland, the Netherlands province with the most beautiful beaches. More of a summer hotspot, winter in Zeeland is calming and uncrowded. Expect relaxing strolls along empty beaches but also expect to get blown around a bit, it's usually a tad windy.

Really you are spoiled for choice here. Pick any beach and go for a long walk, it would be hard to go wrong. But there’s one walk you need to know about. 

If you are looking for a proper beach hike then why not try trekking part of the Dutch Coastal Path? A section of one of the Netherlands long distance hiking trails or ‘LAWs’, this massive 21km route takes you from the pretty Westhove Castle, along beaches, across the dunes, through the beautiful De Manteling Nature Reserve and over the impressive Oosterscheldekering. 

The paths and trails are an easy enough walk but, because of its length we recommend this coastal excursion for experienced hikers. Note that this hike isn’t a loop, so you won’t end up back where you started. You can catch a bus from the endpoint on Neeltje Jans to Middelburg or other places in the province.

Walk Details

Address:🧭 Duinvlietweg 6, 4356 ND Oostkapelle

Length: 21.7km
Difficulty: Intermediate
Map & GPX: Available here.

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6. Oisterwijk Fens Loop (North Brabant)

Get outside on a brisk winter walk through the fens. Oisterwijk is a pretty nature area in North Brabant, great for cycling and walking. There are lots of hiking trails to choose from, but we’d recommend this 9km hike. 

Enjoy the best of the area with views over the water, a woodland walk and a hike through heath. Keep an eye, or ear, out for woodpeckers as you make your way through the fens. We think this route is the best around Oisterwijk and taking just over 2 hours, it's a great option for a Netherlands hike this winter.

Walk Details

Address:🧭 Van Tienhovenlaan 4, 5062 SK Oisterwijk

Length: 9.4km
Difficulty: Easy
Signage: Follow blue arrows
Map: Available here.

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7. Kwintelooyen Natural Beauty Loop (Utrecht)

Kwintelooyen has some of the best hiking trails in the Netherlands so we couldn’t leave it off this winter walks list. If you really want to get those legs moving on a winter day and warm yourself up try the 22.5km loop here.

See the best of Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park’s natural beauty on this hike. Explore the hills of this former sand quarry and discover some archaeological sites along the way. Fun fact: the area is actually known for having some of the oldest ancient finds in the Netherlands.

P.S. We did promise some shorter options so if you don’t want to be out hiking in the cold for hours, there’s an easy 4km hike that you can do at Kwintelooyen too! Click the button below to find out more.

Walk Details

Address:🧭 Gratis Parkeerplaats Kwintelooijen Oude Veensegrindweg 39, 3911 TA Rhenen.

Length: 22.5km
Difficulty: Intermediate
Map & GPX: Available here.

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8. Zuid-Kennemerland National Park Loop (North Holland)

A second Netherlands hiking option close to Amsterdam is the Zuid-Kennemerland National Park. The huge park boasts 3800 hectares of land, 9 former country estates and tons of nature and wildlife.

There are lots of different walking trails to choose from here, but our pick for a winter hike is this 11.5km trail. Start at the inner dune on the edge of Haarlem and make your way almost all the way to the sea and loop back. It does get a bit cold on the dunes in winter, so wrap up extra warm. But, it's worth it to see the best of the national park and spot deer or some shaggy, highland cattle. 

Walk Details

Address:🧭 Zeeweg 12, 2051 EC Overveen, Netherlands

Length: 11.5km
Difficulty: Intermediate
Signage: Wooden posts with red marking

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9. Veluwezoom Heathland Hike (Gelderland)

Wander the Netherland’s oldest national park this winter. Enjoy the views over frost covered heath and see if you can spot a red deer or even a wild boar.

Try this 8km loop around Veluwezoom. On this walk you climb the Posbank, a 90 meter high hill, to get the best views over the reserve. If it's a clear winter day, bring a camera - you can see as far as 20km. We recommend this route for the sure-footed and those who have a bit of hiking experience.

Walk Details

Address:🧭 Beekhuizenseweg 1, 6991 JM Rheden, Netherlands

Length: 8km
Difficulty: Intermediate
Maps & GPS: Available here.

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10. Mount Sint Pieter Hike

Here we go. This is a proper hilly hike on the only ‘mountain’ in the Netherlands. Mount Saint Peter is a plateau that sits above the city of Maastricht. You’ll find lots to do here including touring Fort St Pieter and discovering the underground caves. But - most importantly  - it's also a great area for a winter trek. On a clear winter’s day you’ll get a great view over the city.

We chose this 8km walk because it offers an escape to nature, nice views over the lake and even a cafe pit-stop for that hot drink we were talking about! It’s not a difficult loop but the hills make it best for hikers with a bit of experience. 

Walk Details

Address:🧭 Luikerweg 71a, 6211 ED Maastricht, Netherlands

Length: 7.7km
Difficulty: Intermediate
Map & GPX: Available here.

Looking for more of the best hiking routes in the Netherlands? Check out our map to find even more walks.

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