Veluwe
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The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe is the largest lateral moraine in the Netherlands, stretching 60 km from north to south, and reaching heights of over 100 m (the peak height is 110 meters). The Veluwe was formed by the Saalian glacial during the Pleistocene epoch. In the center of the Veluwe lies the Netherlands' biggest national park, "Nationaal Park De Hoge Veluwe", best translated as "upper Veluwe" because of its elevation. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, lakes and sand drifts. The western boundary of the Veluwe is formed by several lakes linked together, the biggest being the Veluwemeer.
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[edit] Flora and fauna
There are both pine and leaf tree forests on the Veluwe and because of the diversity of the landscape some 500 different kinds of plants can be found. The region is also home to many different species of animals, such as wild boar, several species of deer, several species of snakes including the common viper, Pine Marten, foxes and badgers. Furthermore, the raven was successfully reintroduced and the exotic Reeves' muntjac and mouflon can be seen.
[edit] Developments
Parts of the Veluwe that have been separated from each other by roads, towns and farmland are being reconnected by returning farmland to nature and creating wildlife viaducts over highways. Work is also being done to connect the Veluwe to other wildlife areas such as the Oostvaardersplassen in the Netherlands and areas in Germany. It is hoped that by doing so the genetic diversity of the wildlife population will increase. There are also plans to reintroduce the Black Grouse which was last seen on the Veluwe in 1980.
[edit] Tourism
The Veluwe is a popular tourist destination, especially for Dutch people wanting to go on a short vacation in their own country. Campsites and bungalow parks are the preferred place to stay for most visitors.
Besides the natural beauty of the area, other tourist attractions include four zoos, over 50 museums including the famous Kröller-Müller art museum and the royal palace Het Loo. There are also several lakes in the area that allow for recreation on both the water and the beach.
[edit] Miscellaneous
In the summer of 2005 there were many claims of the sighting of a wild feline beast, nicknamed (in Dutch) "De poema van de Veluwe". This was eventually discovered to be a hoax, as people mistook a wild cat for a puma from a distance.
[edit] Towns and Cities
There are 21 towns and cities in the Veluwe region: Apeldoorn, Arnhem, Barneveld, Brummen, Ede, Elburg, Epe, Ermelo, Harderwijk, Hattem, Heerde, Nijkerk, Nunspeet, Oldebroek, Putten, Renkum, Rheden, Rozendaal, Scherpenzeel, Voorst and Wageningen.
[edit] See also
List of national parks of the Netherlands
