Ducks

While eating an ice-cream and sitting on a bench, a couple of ducks decided to come round and see if anything tasty would come their way.

One duck even jumped over the white line that was (I think) put there to keep them in the water, onto the stone quay. But ice-cream is not meant as duck-food, and our sandwiches were long gone. Sorry!

National Park bicycles

As mentioned before on this blog after an earlier visit to the Hoge Veluwe National Park: it has a large number of 'white bicycles' that are free to use for all visitors. There are large parkings at each of the 3 entrance gates, as well as near the visitor centre and museum in the heart of the park.

It's a great service for visitors. There were still a lot here when this photo was taken last Friday at the Hoenderloo entrance, but during holiday seasons most (or maybe even all) of the bicycles can be found somewhere on the many bicycle paths in the 55 km2 large park.

Lane

We enjoyed hiking in De Hoge Veluwe National Park this weekend.

St Hubertus Hunting Lodge

This is the ´Jachthuis Sint-Hubertus' or 'St Hubertus Hunting Lodge', located in the north of De Hoge Veluwe Nat.Park. It is the former residence of the Kröller-Müller family, who were the original owners of the grounds that later became the National Park. The house was completed in 1920 and has been designed by the prominent Dutch architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage (1856-1934), who was inspired by an English country house. The tower was added on request of the Kröller-Müllers, so they would be able to enjoy the views of the surrounding countryside.

The inside of the house can only be viewed during a guided tour, something we definitely should keep in mind for a next visit. For more detailed information regarding the lodge check the official Park site HERE.

The White Bicycles

The 'Witte Fietsen' or 'White Bicycles' are a well known thing in De Hoge Veluwe Nat.Park. As a visitor you can use them for free in the park and cycle along the 40km of bicycle paths. There are about 1,800 bicycles available, they are stored at the various entrances as well as near the museum and visitor's centre. And, how unusual in the Netherlands, note that it is forbidden to lock them!

Bicycles that are damaged or not working properly can be placed here, apart from the rest, so they can be picked up and repaired.

I'm linking to signs, signs.

His Master's Voice

"His Master's Voice" is an artwork consisting of dozens of copper pipes each ending with a horn. It was created by Dutch sculptor Paul Vendel (1964) in 1993 and can be found in the 'Museonder', the underground part of the De Hoge Veluwe Nat.Park visitor's centre.

And seen from above. According to Vendel the construction connects the underground museum with the ground above.

Hoge Veluwe landscape

Both views were taken during our walk in De Hoge Veluwe Nat. Park, last Thursday. The size of the nature reserve is about 55 square km in total, consisting of heath lands, sand dunes, and woodlands. The landscape was created during the last Ice Age.

And as you can see we had the whole area for ourselves! Well, not entirely so ;) but as it was a weekday and no holiday it was nice without the crowds :)

I'm linking to All Seasons.

Visitor's centre entrance

Two more photos taken in the visitor's centre of De Hoge Veluwe Nat.Park. Standing at the entrance hall looking inside..(the gentleman behind the counter giving me a bit of an angry look..)

..and outside, where you can see another tree growing through the roof. The house there in the distance across the square is the park restaurant.

A toad

We spotted several toads crossing the Nat.Park paths that were near ponds. This one kept perfectly still and seemed to invite me to take a photo..
Each year they are in the news here as many toads are killed by traffic while migrating to their breeding grounds; I remember reading that at busy points some people even carry the amphibians across the road in buckets.

I'm linking to Eileen´s Saturday's Critters.

Visitor´s centre

This is inside De Hoge Veluwe Nat.Park visitor´s centre, where you can learn everything about the nature, culture, and history of the park. And the tree you see in the photo above..

..is a live tree that grows right through the roof!

The tree dog

On this lovely warm Spring day we made a day trip to the Hoge Veluwe, one of the Dutch national parks. This wood carved dog lay near the visitor center, watching people go by..