Loenen: Castle History, Mills and Heathland

Loenen brings together cultural history and woodland, heathland and water landscapes. Kasteel Ter Horst, the Middelste Molen and the VSM-Koninglijn sit alongside natural attractions such as the Loenense Waterval and the Loenermark. These different sides of the town offer concrete points of interest if you want to plan your trip around history, scenery and individual places to visit.

Castle, Mills and Railway

Construction of Kasteel Ter Horst began around 1557. Arnhem mayor Wijnand Hackfort (1522–1563) had it built as a summer and hunting residence. Guided tours are offered at the estate and castle throughout the year. You can visit the estate, gardens, castle, chapel and cellars.

Loenen’s waterways are also connected to the local history of milling: the Loenense Molenbeek flows through the town and still powers the paper machine at the Middelste Molen. The Bekenroute starts and ends at this mill on the Apeldoorns Kanaal, while the Loenense Beek flows right through the centre of Loenen. This means you can find both a route that starts and ends at the mill and a stream that runs through the town.

Loenen Station is a stop on the VSM heritage steam railway. The VSM-Koninglijn stops at the station, runs between Apeldoorn and Dieren, and passes through varied woodland and meadow landscapes between the Veluwe and the IJssel Valley. The historic estate, the history of milling and the railway are all part of the town’s cultural attractions.

Woodland, Heathland and Waterfalls

The Loenense Enk is a historic Esdorp landscape with rolling fields, flower-rich farmland and semi-open woodland. The Loenermark reveals a different side of the landscape: vast forests and rolling heathland are part of the scenery, along with red deer, fallow deer, roe deer and wild boar. From April to December, the Loenermark flock of sheep grazes on the heath with its shepherd.

The Loenense Waterval is 15 metres high and is described as the highest waterfall in the Netherlands. There are also several smaller waterfalls along the stream. The “Vrijenberg langs Loenense Waterval” walking route passes through woodland and varied, semi-open countryside, and goes by the Loenense Waterval. The route is marked on the ground with green arrows.

The Loenermark is also home to a wildlife observation platform. It is freely accessible and wheelchair-accessible; a paved path leads there from the car park on Groenendaalseweg. Both the car park as a starting point and the condition of the path are clearly specified for visitors.

Gardens and Farm Life

Harmanahof is a butterfly garden, reached via sandy paths behind the Reformed Church in Loenen. Another destination connected with nature and farming is Open Erf De Groote Modderkolk. Rare Brandrode cattle are kept there, and the open-fronted barn is open daily. The grounds also have a tea room, farm shop, vegetable garden and an area with farm animals. The site also serves as a starting point for walking and cycling routes.

Whether you are interested in castle tours, the paper machine, a marked walking route or landscapes of woodland and heath, Loenen offers a range of attractions that you can explore individually. They include everything from a historic Esdorp landscape to a butterfly garden and a waterfall. When choosing what to visit, you can focus on the things that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Hoog-Soeren, Ugchelen, Beemte Broekland, Apeldoorn, Uddel, Nieuw-Milligen, Hoenderloo, Beekbergen.

Go to the main travel overview: Apeldoorn.