Recently, the time had come again for us (Food Bandits) to go on a small holiday in the forest. This time we went to Zelhem, near Doetinchem, and stayed at an old farm on Landgoed Slangenburg. Looking for a calm and perfect getaway in The Netherlands? This is your go-to place! 

Landgoed Slangenburg

Landgoed Slangenburg doesn’t just have a castle where you can stay at but also has an abbey, a little shop where you can get all sorts of local produce, and a forest with long lanes and some farms in between. It’s a gorgeous part of The Netherlands that hasn’t yet been discovered by tourists and is on top of that also wonderfully peaceful.

 Holiday Home Haank

We stayed at a holiday home called Haank, which is surrounded by fruit trees, meadows and crop fields. It was great to be able to pick our own fruit in the mornings for breakfast and then head into the woods for a walk with our dachshund, only to be back right on time for a good cup of coffee.

Kasteel Huis Berg 

On Saturday we first visited Castle Huis Bergh, the largest medieval castle in The Netherlands. During the drive there, you’ll pass by some hills (something particularly special here in The Netherlands) and it’s simply wonderful to walk through the castle gardens. 

After that, we visited a biodynamic farm in the nearby village of Halle in the afternoon, and I have to say, this was an amazing place. Everything comes together; they look after their animals and the environment, they grow vegetables in a way that prevents the creation of a monoculture, and you can also buy the products they produce, such as cheese, honey, various vegetables, and wine, right there on their farm. These are the kinds of places I could easily spend a whole afternoon. Sadly, however, the cows had been taken inside. Because of the ongoing drought here in The Netherlands, there was not enough fresh grass outside in the meadows anymore for them to eat from, but on the positive side, this did give us (and especially dachshund Moos) the opportunity to see said cows up close. Moos does now believe he is a part cow, however, and had secretly hoped he could have stayed behind, if only to bark/moo at the goats.

After a hearty breakfast on Sunday, we once again went on a walk through the long lanes of Landgoed Slangenburg and finished off our holiday with a cup of coffee in the yard.

Other nearby activities:

– The pine forests of Ruurlo are simply gorgeous and there’s also a museum of modern realism close by. MORE (https://www.museummore-kasteelruurlo.nl/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwm6HaBRCbARIsAFDNK-jfRmSMMXrRxKPriaBm1vkf6HqnvQq9Lbo9ciXmqt1zmyjxpUmk54AaAgwDEALw_wcB)

– Prefer somewhere more a little bit busier? The old Hanseatic city of Zutphen is also a short drive away.

– Castle Anholt (https://www.wasserburg-anholt.de/index.php/nl/) is situated just across the border with Germany and is certainly worth a visit.

– Haven’t had enough of castle yet? Follow the castle route! It’s the oldest cycling tour of The Netherlands. (https://www.gelderseroutes.nl/nl-nl/rd/achtkastelenroute). 

This holiday wasn’t sponsored by Buitenlevenvakanties or by any of the other places we have visited and/or promoted (sadly).