7x most beautiful daily stages of long-distance footpaths

The Netherlands has a number of Long-Distance Footpaths (LAWs). An LAW is a long-distance walking route of at least 150 kilometres. You can recognise them by the red and white stripes along the way, on trees or on posts. Guidebooks are available about each LAW, giving you more background on the area.

The Pieterpad is of course the best-known long-distance footpath, but not the most beautiful, according to many hikers. Some find the Migratory Bird Trail more beautiful, or the Coastal or Pilgrim Trail. I myself am also drawn to art and culture - for example, I love it when you see a castle looming in the distance, walk past an interesting 'landmark', or explore historic village. Hence, LAWs like the Hertogenpad, the Marskramerpad and Maarten van Rossempad also hold my interest.

Variety, different and interesting, that's what makes such a long-distance walking route adventurous for me. Similarly, I enjoy walking through landscapes that are totally different for me. I am a forest and hill person, and for me, for instance, walking through the empty Frisian landscape triggers something completely different in me than chatting through the woods in a sheltered way.

In this blog, you will therefore find beautiful and surprising stages of five Long-Distance Footpaths in the Netherlands.

How do you do it? Most walking routes can be found online, but if you want to walk such a route more often, you can also buy a guidebook that gives you details of the starting point and finishing point, plus a detailed description and map of the trail. If you walk without a guidebook, it is useful to print out the route in advance. Not all routes are as well marked as, for example, the Pieterspad. Also check how to get there by public transport (and back to the starting point), or drive two cars if you are going with several people.

Did you know that the St Pieterpad was set out 35 years ago by two fanatical hiking friends who were annoyed that they always had to go abroad to hike? Quite revolutionary, then, because with the Pieterpad they showed that hiking in the Netherlands is also beautiful.

The Pieterpad is usually divided into Part 1 (northern part) and Part 2 (the southern part). These are my two favourite stages:

Stage 4: from Zuidlaren to Rolde

A fantastically beautiful walk through the primeval landscape of Drenthe. Hunebedden, walking through National Park the Drentse AA, ash villages and the Gaster dunes. This beautiful 18-kilometre route takes you through one of the most beautiful parts of the Netherlands and is wonderfully adventurous. Stroll across the Gasterse Duinen where there are bound to be some woolly beasts staring sheepishly at you.

Stage 13: Sittard-Strabeek and/or Strabeek-St. Pietersberg

From the cosy centre of Sittard with its half-timbered houses, you soon find yourself in the Limburg hills. Walking 21 kilometres, you walk to Strabeek. You immediately start with a steep climb up a slope, and along the way you have beautiful views of meandering rivers, old monasteries, wooded hills and quaint villages. The path partly coincides with the Pilgrim Trail, another long-distance footpath. Along the way, you regularly see chapels and wayside crosses.

From Strabeek (a shorter route of 15 kilometres to St Pietersberg) is also very beautiful and really adventurous. Fast-flowing streams, climbing hills and villages and towns that make you feel like you're abroad. Again, lots of views and hollow roads.

Hollow roads are roads carved by water in a loess slope, and therefore only occur here, in South Limburg, and only on sloping terrain. Since I know them mostly from abroad, they immediately give me a sense of being on a real journey. The concluding climb up St Pietersberg is literally and figuratively a highlight of this trip.

If you like river villages and castles, the Maarten van Rossum path is the Long-Distance Hiking Path for you. By the way, it has nothing to do with Maarten van Rossem that you always see on television. Maarten van Rossum was a rather controversial warlord, who nobody knows whether he was actually a hero or a villain.

Stage 4: From Waardenburg to Wadenoijen

With this beautiful castle walk of Waardenburg and Wadenoijen, you imagine yourself in the Middle Ages, as you encounter one castle after another, such as the castle of Waardenburg, the first wooden version of which was already there in 1265.

Moreover, you can stroll on the floodplains of the vast Waal river and see what the river landscape used to look like. And you walk among the fruit trees of the Betuwe. That is why this walk is best done between April and September

From Waardenburg to Wadenoijen is a long stage of 24 kilometres. You can also decide to walk it up to Varik, just under 10 kilometres.

According to many, the Migratory Birds Path is actually a misnomer. This is because the route of migratory birds is at right angles to this path, which runs from Bergen aan Zee to Usselo. That does not detract from its beauty, as experts say it is the most beautiful path in the Netherlands. And you will encounter many migratory birds, as it goes mostly through nature reserves. These are the most beautiful stages as far as I am concerned:

Stage 5: from Landsmeer to Ransdorp

A substantial 24-kilometre stretch just above Amsterdam. Wonderful because this watery trip leads past rivers, streams, canals, lakes, ponds and fens, so you will also see many meadow and water birds. Here, you enter the old Dutch polders atmosphere. Broek op Waterland is one of the most beautiful villages in the Netherlands. Honeyguide Marit already visited Broek in Waterland once. Nearby is the equally beautiful Durgerdam, but by then you are actually already walking the next stage and walking straight into Amsterdam.

Stage 9: from Hilversum to Soest

I also walked the beautiful stage 9 from Hilversum to Soest. A 23-kilometre route across the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Look carefully around you, as you often encounter deer and roe deer here (and of course migratory birds). You walk through the vast forests of forestry reserve de Vuursche and then arrive at the beautiful Landgoed Groeneveld, with its English-style garden and 'ice house', water features and bridges. Lage Vuursche is a paradise where you can relax at places like Buiten in de Kuil. Delicious food and a good atmosphere guaranteed!

The Dutch Coastal Path is the longest coastal path in the Netherlands and actually consists of three parts: part 1 runs through Zeeland, part 2 through South and North Holland and part 3 through Groningen and Friesland. It runs from Sluis near the Belgian border to Bad Nieuweschans on the German border.

Stage 9: Egmond aan Zee- Groet

The stage between Schoorl and Egmond is 20 kilometres and is one of the most beautiful and natural. Strolling through the dunes, you could call this stage through the Noord-Hollands Dune Reserve. On this walk, you see lots of dunes and is beautiful to walk.

The Great Rivers Path, the name says it all, is a Long-Distance Footpath along the major rivers of the Netherlands. You traverse the country from west to east.

Stage 10: from Leerdam to Geldermalsen

In this stage, you walk through cosy villages such as Beesd, Rumpt, Acquoy and Tricht along the beautiful banks of the river Linge. You will also come to the Marienwaard estate. Especially in spring, this is perfect as a 'blossom route'. In the village of Acquoy, you'll see the church tower known as 'The Betuwe Tower of Pisa', as the tower has been out of alignment since it was built in the ^15th century. In 22 kilometres, you walk from Leerdam to Geldermalsen.