Discover one charming spot after another and cycle to castles across the border from your holiday home in Aalten

Aalten in the Achterhoek is a town surrounded by unique places and beautiful nature. Think of a walk through a peatland where you might spot a crane! Other walks or bike rides take you past tea gardens where you can enjoy coffee, tea, homemade cake and ice cream in the middle of a landscaped garden. Did you know that just a few kilometers across the border in Germany there is so much to see? There are no fewer than four real castles that you can visit on a cycling tour! So hop on your bike and discover it yourself from your holiday home in Aalten!

Holiday home Aalten: a pleasant stay for walks in the Achterhoek

A walk around Aalten is a lovely route that introduces you to the beauty of the Achterhoek. You stroll along narrow paths, sandy roads and the Boven Slinge stream through farmland with a gently rolling character. Between Aalten and Varsseveld, near the railway and the Boven Slinge, lies the tea garden ’t Lerinkshof. Here it is pleasant to take a break at the edge of a meadow with greenery and ponds. Galloway cattle, wooded banks and an ornamental garden complete the view. Be sure to visit the local shop, which offers a wide selection of beef products.

Spot cranes along the Schaddenpad

Would you like to take a longer and more adventurous hike? Put on your walking shoes for a trek through the Vragenderveen nature reserve. Allow around three hours for the walk and take boots with you if the weather is wet. Parking is available at the Maneschijnsweg car park. Before the path leads towards the marsh, you will first reach a viewing tower. Around the Korenburgerveen there is a narrow boardwalk leading to another lookout point. From the observation towers or along the way, keep an eye out into the distance, because the nature reserve is home to a small colony of cranes.

Admire castles across the border

Since Aalten is close to Germany, curious holidaymakers will naturally want to explore across the border. The best option is to plan a cycling route through Bocholt and Borken. Along the way you will encounter three castles. Schloss Diepenbrock has the appearance of a grand manor house, but the moat and round towers give it the allure of a castle. Its yellow exterior makes it an especially striking sight. Around the castle there are several outbuildings, including a former gatehouse. A visit to the next castle, Haus Rhede, makes you feel as though you are back in the Netherlands. This brick-red castle with white window frames and a slender turret could easily belong in the Achterhoek. The grounds include a small bridge, a driveway and a double moat.

The final castle, Jugendburg, takes the crown with a wide moat and multiple towers. Take time for a walk in the area. The castle looks splendid from a distance and clearly gives you the feeling of being abroad. Yet the willow-lined path nearby feels typically Dutch. Altogether, it is an estate well worth a cross-border outing!

Drive via tea garden Rensink to Anholt Castle from your holiday home in Aalten

If a bike ride with small children is not an option, you can of course take the car. This way you can even extend the “three castle tour” with another beautiful castle just across the border at Dinxperlo. First stop at the tea garden Rensink, where you can enjoy the greenery and Achterhoek farmland along with coffee and cake or lunch. Don’t forget the children, as ice cream is also on the menu! After a restful break, drive across the border via Dinxperlo to Anholt Castle, an impressive castle complex surrounded by a huge pond. Even the driveway with rounded hedges is lined with water. You can also walk past several ponds, a beautiful flower meadow and a small island designed as an ornamental garden.

Follow the Keizersbeek route to rest point De Maote

Between Aalten and the hamlet of Lintelo lies a route named after the Keizersbeek stream. Beautiful rows of trees, the stream itself and a mill are highlights along this walking route. With some luck, you may spot a buzzard in the sky or a pheasant in the meadows. Tip: take time to visit rest point De Maote, a tea house where you can taste the homemade walnut cake of the Westerveld family. This rest point also has a car park and serves as a good starting point for a cycling route.

Cycle to Rosenhaege garden park near Winterswijk

Visiting a tea garden from your holiday home in Aalten is one thing, but visiting a 4.5-hectare garden park is something else entirely. Looking for a fun bike trip with coffee and cake included? Then this attraction is definitely worthwhile. The garden is designed in different styles, referring to various themes and seasons. Particularly beautiful are the lavender shrubs and a pond surrounded by a tiered lawn. At the Celtic Coffee House you can order apple pie with cream and vanilla sauce! There is also the option to enjoy sandwiches and soup around lunchtime.

Rent a holiday home in Aalten

A holiday in Aalten means walking and cycling fun with a tasty twist. Those with a sweet tooth can indulge at rest point De Maote and Rosenhaege with delicious cakes. Meat lovers will be surprised at tea garden ’t Lerinkshof with a wide selection of beef products in the organic shop. Walking routes lead you through the picturesque farmland of the Achterhoek, where you might spot pheasants and cranes. Discover the treasures across the border as well, because within a short ride you can reach several castles by bike! Do you feel like a cycling holiday with visits to tea gardens and castles, combined with beautiful walks along the Boven Slinge? Book a holiday home in Aalten and discover all that the German-Dutch border region has to offer!