Sculptures in interplay with the Northwest Veluwe
Harderwijk, Putten, Ermelo
Just next to the white country house of Staverden estate, a statue of a large white peacock proudly overlooks the estate. This somewhat stately national monument with long feathers fits right in with the neat castle garden that stretches out in front of it and almost seems to have been created for it. In honour of white peacocks, which have been kept here since the 14th century, an effigy of this graceful bird has also been placed on the roof of the manor house. Just a few kilometres away, the large wooden sculptures along the cycle path in the Spielderbos almost blend into their natural surroundings. The forest both inspired and provided the material for the works of art. A huge old tree stump has been transformed into the face of the mythological Medusa with all the carved snakes as hair. Nearby are also three wooden statues of inebriated monks. According to an old legend, there used to be a monastery nearby where a lot of drinking and dark parties were held. During one Christmas night, the entire monastery is said to have sunk into the ground, leaving a deep hole. This Solse hole is in reality a large clay pit in the middle of the forest. As you cycle into Putten from the forest, the place's connection with the Veluwe is striking in its public artworks. The coat of arms and logo of the municipality of Gelderland features a deer, and it is precisely this animal that you encounter twice in pictorial form along the way: first metres high on a roundabout and a little later just over life-size right in front of the town hall. Just past neighbouring Ermelo, the built-up area carefully gives way again to the beautiful park-like grounds of care institution 's Heeren Loo and you cycle criss-cross between wide rhododendron bushes and tall age-old trees. This in turn forms a beautiful, natural backdrop for artist John Spek's six-metre-high metal menace Octa Folio: the abstract sculpture with eight long, sprawling metal blades almost forms a natural part of the landscaped park. Before the route returns along farm roads and forest paths, you first cycle along the banks of the Wolderwijd in Harderwijk, where some imposing works of art need precisely water as a context. Like the 14-metre-hanse beacon that proudly overlooks the harbour of the old Hanseatic city. Even more fitting is the huge sculpture of a World War II plane that appears to plunge into the lake with its wing broken. This monument was made in memory of the 117 crew members of allied aircraft who lost their lives in or near Harderwijk between the war years. Somewhat more hidden on rocks among the bushes is a statue of a huge crocodile waiting for prey and not far from it, a faithful bronze dog waits patiently for you right behind the Vischpoort. Thus, in each case, the artwork itself, the story behind it and the appropriate environment in which it is placed determine the overall image. This Premium cycle route was compiled by our editor: Wieger Favier.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Stakenbergweg , 8075 RE Nunspeet | 46.2 KM | |
|
From
73
to
88
|
1259 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head southeast on Schapendrift | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 88 | 0 M | ||
|
From
88
to
87
|
2575 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head south on Bergweg | 687 M | ||
| Turn right | 7 M | ||
| Turn left | 395 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Bergweg | 685 M | ||
| Continue straight | 801 M | ||
| You are now at section 87 | 0 M | ||
|
From
87
to
86
|
1290 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head west on Staverdenseweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 86 | 0 M | ||
|
From
86
to
67
|
596 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head west on Staverdenseweg | 596 M | ||
| You are now at section 67 | 0 M | ||
|
From
67
to
83
|
1951 M | 2 KM | |
| Head southwest on Postweg | 122 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Postweg | 1.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 83 | 0 M | ||
|
From
83
to
11
|
246 M | 0.2 KM | |
| Head west on Postweg | 3 M | ||
| Turn left | 142 M | ||
| Turn left onto Flevoweg | 18 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Flevoweg | 34 M | ||
| Turn left onto Tonnenberg | 49 M | ||
| You are now at section 11 | 0 M | ||
|
From
11
to
82
|
1454 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head south on Tonnenberg | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Garderenseweg | 238 M | ||
| Turn right | 11 M | ||
| You are now at section 82 | 0 M | ||
|
From
82
to
97
|
1628 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head northwest on Sprielderweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 97 | 0 M | ||
|
From
97
to
56
|
3379 M | 3.4 KM | |
| Head west | 33 M | ||
| Turn left onto Sprielderweg | 386 M | ||
| Turn right | 288 M | ||
| Continue onto Nieuwe Prinsenweg | 2.7 KM | ||
| You are now at section 56 | 0 M | ||
|
From
56
to
48
|
1301 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Nieuwe Prinsenweg | 3 M | ||
| Turn right onto Arnhemse Karweg | 761 M | ||
| Turn right onto Prins Hendrikweg | 537 M | ||
| You are now at section 48 | 0 M | ||
|
From
48
to
20
|
1938 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head north on Arnhemse Karweg | 4 M | ||
| Turn left | 862 M | ||
| Continue onto Postweg | 740 M | ||
| Turn right onto Postweg | 332 M | ||
| You are now at section 20 | 0 M | ||
|
From
20
to
14
|
267 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head north | 27 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Poststraat | 146 M | ||
| Continue right onto Kelnarijstraat | 20 M | ||
| Turn left onto Papiermakerstraat | 74 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
17
|
1301 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head west on Papiermakerstraat | 419 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oude Rijksweg | 34 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Oude Rijksweg | 21 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Telgterweg | 87 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Telgterweg | 740 M | ||
| You are now at section 17 | 0 M | ||
|
From
17
to
30
|
225 M | 0.2 KM | |
| Head north on Telgterweg | 225 M | ||
| You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
|
From
30
to
92
|
4288 M | 4.3 KM | |
| Head north on Telgterweg | 831 M | ||
| Continue straight | 1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Groevenbeekseheidepad | 409 M | ||
| Keep left onto Groevenbeekseheidepad | 295 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Groevenbeekseheidepad | 250 M | ||
| Turn left onto Paul Krugerweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 92 | 0 M | ||
|
From
92
to
91
|
857 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head west on Stationsstraat | 120 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Rietlaan | 251 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Chevallierlaan | 363 M | ||
| Turn right onto Stationsstraat | 123 M | ||
| You are now at section 91 | 0 M | ||
|
From
91
to
33
|
2233 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head northeast on Dokter van Dalelaan | 436 M | ||
| Turn left onto Horsterweg | 381 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 40 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Horsterweg | 49 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Horsterweg | 201 M | ||
| Keep right onto Horsterweg | 52 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit onto Horsterweg | 57 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Horsterweg | 1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 33 | 0 M | ||
|
From
33
to
73
|
3363 M | 3.4 KM | |
| Head northeast on Fokko Kortlanglaan | 187 M | ||
| Turn left onto Molenkamp | 336 M | ||
| Turn left onto Molenkamp | 249 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kloenenkamp | 173 M | ||
| Turn left onto Bongerd | 104 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Bongerd | 38 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Bongerd | 76 M | ||
| Turn right onto Witteland | 278 M | ||
| Turn left onto Enckerkamp | 8 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Enckerkamp | 519 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Enckerkamp | 209 M | ||
| Continue straight | 139 M | ||
| Continue onto Zwartepad | 554 M | ||
| Turn left onto Triasgracht | 170 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Triasplein | 323 M | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
|
From
73
to
9
|
1044 M | 1 KM | |
| Head west on Muziekpad | 547 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zeepad | 497 M | ||
| You are now at section 09 | 0 M | ||
|
From
9
to
82
|
2440 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head north on Zeepad | 2.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 82 | 0 M | ||
|
From
82
to
11
|
1489 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head east on Strandboulevard West | 178 M | ||
| Continue onto Strandboulevard Oost | 342 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Strandboulevard Oost | 399 M | ||
| Turn left onto Havenkade | 486 M | ||
| Turn right onto Burgemeester De Meesterstraat | 32 M | ||
| Continue onto Flevoweg | 15 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Spoorpad | 37 M | ||
| You are now at section 11 | 0 M | ||
|
From
11
to
10
|
504 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head southeast on Spoorpad | 504 M | ||
| You are now at section 10 | 0 M | ||
|
From
10
to
46
|
828 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northeast on Kwekerspad | 7 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Kwekerspad | 254 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oosteinde | 208 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Boomkamp | 359 M | ||
| You are now at section 46 | 0 M | ||
|
From
46
to
90
|
346 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head northeast on Zuiderzeestraatweg | 339 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kruisweg | 7 M | ||
| You are now at section 90 | 0 M | ||
|
From
90
to
74
|
2664 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head southeast on Kruisweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Grevenhofsweg | 71 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Grevenhofsweg | 452 M | ||
| Turn right onto Lokhorsterweg | 108 M | ||
| Turn left onto Lage Enkweg | 963 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
|
From
74
to
76
|
174 M | 0.2 KM | |
| Head north on Duinweg | 168 M | ||
| Turn left onto Molenweg | 6 M | ||
| You are now at section 76 | 0 M | ||
|
From
76
to
70
|
1419 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head southeast on Molenweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 70 | 0 M | ||
|
From
70
to
53
|
1187 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Hessenweg | 907 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 280 M | ||
| You are now at section 53 | 0 M | ||
|
From
53
to
73
|
3930 M | 3.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Hierderweg | 3.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M |