24 hours in the Biesbosch National Park »

If you’re a nature lover and planning a trip to the Netherlands, don’t forget to include the Biesbosch National Park! At a driving distance of approximately one hour southwards from Amsterdam, you can find this beautiful National Park, which is a perfect place for hiking, biking and kayaking.

A few weeks ago, I visited the Biesbosch National Park myself and, although it was quite a rainy weekend, I really enjoyed my time in the nature. I spent around 24 hours in and around the park and in this post I’ll share my experiences with you. Enjoy!

Biesbosch National Park

The Biesbosch National Park has a surface of 9.000 hectares and consists out of many rivers, small islands with willow forests and creeks with crystal clear water. It’s a protected nature area and features the biggest freshwater tidal area of Europe, which means you can experience both low and high tide.

Visitor centers

When you’re planning a visit to the Biesbosch National Park, you can get some additional information at one of visitor centers. There are three visitor centers which are all located at a different side of the Biesbosch. It depends on where you’re staying during your visit and on how you’re entering the national park which visitor center is easiest to go to. Here are the addresses:

Drimmelen: Biesboschcentrum Drimmelen, Biesboschweg 4
Dordrecht: Biesboschcentrum Dordrecht, Baanhoekweg 53
Werkendam: Biesbosch MuseumEiland, Hilweg 2

Take a look on the following map of the Biesbosch National Park to have a good overview (the red arrows show you the places):

*Drimmelen is located at the South side, Dordrecht is located at the West side and Werkendam is located at the North-East side.*

Nature Trail Nieuwe Merwede

We visited the Biesbosch and hiked two trails which the park has to offer. At the day we arrived, we decided to hike the nature trail Nieuwe Merwede. On the map above, you can find this trail by looking at the upper circle.

Officially, this trail is around five kilometers long and starts at Oosthaven, Dordrecht. However, you can walk for how long you’d like to of course. This trail doesn’t go over paved paths, what makes it an exciting trail. The path goes along the Nieuwe Merwede river, along creeks and through willow forests. Take into account that, during Winter time, some parts of the trail can be under water.

Hiking Trail Hooge hof & Deeneplaat

At the map above, you can find this hiking trail by looking at the lower circle. The Hooge Hof and Deeneplaat are two separated trails of both seven kilometers long, but you can combine them together. During our time at the park, we hiked a little bit of both.

The starting point of these trails is located at the Deeneplaatweg. During the trails, you walk along shallow lagoons, creeks and reed marsh. The environment is quite flat, but at some points you can have some beautiful views over the expansive creeks. You also come across willow forests. These are really nice and diverse hiking trails.

Other hiking trails and activities

Besides the two hiking trails I’ve mentioned above and which I’ve hiked myself, there are many other trails that the Biesbosch National Park has to offer. You can find more information about these trails by having a look at the official website.

Are you looking for other activities? The Biesbosch is also a perfect place for:

Biking
Going on a boat trip

Kayaking or Canoeing
Renting a boat
Fishing

Bird watching

Also for these activities you can take a look on the official website. Unfortunately, I haven’t done these activities myself otherwise I’d have loved to tell you more about it. I would recommend you to go to one of the visitor centres for more information and tips.

Where to stay?

There are many accommodation options in and around the Biesbosch National Park. During my trip, I stayed at Hotel de Watertoren, located just outside of the city center of Dordrecht and just outside the Biesbosch National Park. Next to the perfect location, it’s also a very unique stay as you actually really stay in a former water tower. Absolutely a recommendation!

If you’re planning your own trip and have any questions about the Biesbosch National Park, I’d be happy to answer them. Please let me know in the comment section below!

Author: Tamara