We are visiting 21 National Parks in the Netherlands, within a year! Some of the parks are really close to our hometown, other parks are futher away. Here we will stay a couple of days.
Here I give you some advice about which accommodations we used. We will go ‘back to basic’, nice but affordable accommodation for example on a campground or in a hostel.
Veluwe
Here we stayed in a Wikkelhouse of the hostelgroup Stay Okay. When you stay in the hostel it’s cheaper, this accommodation we allready had booked before we planned to visit 21 national parks within a year!
The Wikkelhouse is a designhouse, made of cardboard. It is movable and compact. It’s made by machines. Designed by the Dutch architect René Snel. Stay Okay has more Wikkelhouses, take a look on their website.
The small home is cozy. It has a little kitchen, shower and toilet. You can sleep with four persons, there’s a doublebed and a bunkbed. The view on the forest is nice, you feel like you are in the middle of nature. On the downside is that the houses are very close to the hostel and to eachother, this way you don’t feel alone and peaceful. And it’s rather expensive to stay here, like a night in a hotel.
Maasduinen
Here we stayd at Staatsbosbeheer campground De Cokse Heide. It is a nice, small and peaceful campground. It ‘s meant for people who like peace and quiet and maybe families.
The site are really big, your pitches are in the middle of the forest. There’s a small part for hikers and bikers, it was not in use when we were there, because of Covid 19.
The sanitarybuilding is rather new, it is warm and beautiful. There are nice showers. There’s a place where you can do your dishes. There are enough toilets and showers.
From the campground you can hike directly into the forest. The Cokse Heide is only ten minutes away.
You have to reserve this campsite via Staatsbosbeheer. You need a natuurkampeerterrein kaart. It makes this campground a little bit more expensive than other campgrounds.
Drenthe
In Drenthe we spent the night in a very special place. We stayed in a Tiny House made by Tralaluna. The Tiny House looks incredibly nice, is made from recycled materials and is in a special place.
The Pioniershuisje
The Tiny House is fully equipped. It has a kitchenette, a sitting area with a nice wood stove, a table with two chairs and a double bed. There is a window above the bed, so you can admire the starry sky before going to sleep.
The Tiny House is fully equipped. It has a kitchenette, a sitting area with a nice wood stove, a table with two chairs and a double bed. There is a window above the bed, so you can admire the starry sky before going to sleep.
Next to the house is a second tiny house with a dry toilet and a nice shower. The shower wall is covered with special photo wallpaper. You can see the greenhouses of the horticultural school on the wallpaper.
It feels a bit like luxury camping. You shouldn’t mind cooking on a two-burner camping gas stove and having to go outside if you want to go to the bathroom.
Special place
The Pioniershuisje is located in the gardens of the Horticultural School in Frederiksoord. Frederiksoord is one of the Colonies of Benevolence. These were founded 200 years ago by Johannes van den Bosch. He wanted to offer the poor perspective and gave them a colony house with a piece of land to grow. The children were sent to school and there was a lot of attention to discipline. For example, alcohol was prohibited and going to church was considered important. Many buildings from the time of the Colonies can still be found in Frederiksoord and the surrounding area.
This also applies to the Horticultural School. This was the first horticultural school in the Netherlands. The school has been empty since 2004 and the grounds and greenhouses are currently being renovated. It’s a special place. You can make a museum route of 11 kilometers. We thought it was really worth it! You can also visit the museum (if the lockdown measures are lifted). For more information take a look on this website.
Bookings and information
You can book the house through Tralaluna. Manilde and Martin designed and made the house and you can read all about this entire process on their website. They have several tiny houses and also camping vans for rent. Janneke manages the house in the garden. We immediately felt welcome, there is a nice atmosphere in this place and the contact went smoothly. The cottage is not cheap, but it is a very special overnight stay!
