Just a stone’s throw away from Utrecht: the Beerschoten estate. A small nature reserve that’s just perfect for a walk on a quiet afternoon. Ancient groups of trees host squirrels, martens and bats. And after following the small shaded, winding paths, you’re in for quite the surprise: large sand dunes, in the middle of the forest.
It took me a while to realise that I have been writing here for a couple of months now, without really telling you guys a thing about myself. You’ve probably figured out by now that I’m a city girl, with a knack for (street) art, long lunches and good food. But there hasn’t been a proper introduction, has there?
As you have maybe read on my about page, I am a freelance journalist and online writer. I write for (online) magazines and 7 years ago I started blogging in Dutch on my website Mooistestedentrips.nl, an independent online platform about city breaks. Your Dutch Guide is my first independent English online adventure.
When I am not travelling for work, I try to visit workspaces for freelancers at least once a week. For that bit of human interaction and some networking. But to be honest, nothing beats sitting at our huge dining table with a cup of coffee, listing to my music (without anyone complaining my dubious taste) and typing the day away.
Walking near Utrecht: Beerschoten estate
But, as most of you know, creativity isn’t born behind a computer. That’s why I simply have to break free every now and then. Most of the time, I hop on my bike and cycle into town or visit my favourite village in the area, Maarssen. With the wind in my hair, simple frustrations are quickly forgotten and I can start anew when I get back. Two days ago, however, I decided to go for a walk instead of going for a bike ride. Beerschoten popped into my head, as my husband and I had passed it on one of our bike rides from Utrecht to Amersfoort. I remembered the interesting landscapes, but we didn’t stop long enough to take a proper look. That’s why I picked it for my morning walk.
Now, don’t expect Beerschoten to be a huge reserve or anything. These are The Netherlands, remember! Our nature is rationed. But good things sometimes come in small packages, or in this case: small estates. Beerschoten stretches out over 13 km² and contains forest, grasslands, meadows, some moors and dunes. 4 walks are set out on the estate. If you’re in for a brisk walk you can take the 12 km walking trail. But I figured the 3.5 km Panbos trail was enough to clear my head. The trails are all colour marked and easy to follow.
Walking the Panbos trail
The Panbos trail is marked with blue arrows and before I knew it, it felt like the city was at least light year away, while in reality, it was maybe about 7 kilometers away. Forests in The Netherlands are always prettiest in autumn, as we have that proper fall foliage. But I wasn’t too disappointed by the flowers and berries I saw along the way, happy bits of colour in between all that green.
But the best parts of Panbos are the big sand dunes that loom behind the trees. Panbos has three large sandy plains, which originated through erosion. The wind has blown away the sand from around the trees, leaving their roots completely exposed. Causing the illusion that some of the trees ‘walk’ on the plains. The dunes are surrounded by scots pines, making the dunes look even more dramatic.
How to get to Beerenschoten estate?
If you don’t have a car, take bus 52 from Utrecht Central Station to Amersfoort, getting off at stop De Dreef/ Panweg. From there it’s a 15 minute stroll to the edge of the estate. Take a look at my city guide Utrecht on what to see and do during your visit.
So tell me, what do you do to clear your head and get some inspiration?
21 Comments
Kyle Studstill
August 3, 2017 at 7:43 pmI had no idea about those dunes, I’ve never seen that combination of woodlands and sand!
Esther
August 3, 2017 at 8:12 pmThere’s another inland dune area in The Netherlands, which is even more spectacular. I hope to visit that next year. Thank you for stopping by Kyle.
budget jan
August 3, 2017 at 11:54 pmI was so surprised by the sand and “walking” trees. Thanks for introducing yourself and your blog.
Johlene Orton
August 5, 2017 at 1:25 pmThis is so interesting! Here in Gran Canaria where I live we have sand dunes but they are next to the beach, not in the middle of a forest!
Lydia C. Lee
August 9, 2017 at 11:22 pmThose tree roots are crazy! How does it not fall over?
Esther
August 10, 2017 at 10:52 amI know right Lydia! They look like they walk off at night to have a beer at the nearby pub 😉
Marcella
August 10, 2017 at 12:48 amHow gorgeous, I love the sound of this trail! What a lovely forest, and as ever I just love your close up shots – especially those of the berries! 🙂
Tara
August 10, 2017 at 11:09 amIt looks stunning, perfect for a Sunday afternoon ramble. Shame the blackberries weren’t quite ripe enough to eat.
Jules
August 10, 2017 at 2:06 pmLooks like a nice rural area to leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind you
Clare
August 10, 2017 at 7:25 pmI couldn’t agree more, Esther. I always have to head out to the countryside to clear my head. Fortunately where I live, we’re surrounded by fields and woods so I end up escaping to a city for a change of scene! Your woodland walk sounds wonderful and even better to find sand dunes too.
Donna
August 12, 2017 at 4:07 pmBeerschoten estate looks like a wonderful place to get out of the city for a while and walk in nature. Sand dunes surrounded by forest sound both spectacular and a little bit eerie.
Michelle
August 13, 2017 at 8:45 amWild blackberries!! <3 <3 LOVE them. When I lived in rural Ecuador we used to pick and eat them without a second thought, but then a guy from England mentioned that he would never do it back home because of dog poop and whatnot. Can those blackberries be eaten?
Esther
August 13, 2017 at 10:45 amThat’s the best part about wild blackberries. To take them home and eat them! I love picking blackberries when they’re ripe, though I always take them home to rinse them off (to rinse out little bugs and such), they are the best! Thank you for stopping by Michelle.
Anda
August 14, 2017 at 11:52 pmI agree with you, Esther. I find a lot of inspiration for writing when I travel in the beautiful nature around my hometown. We have wild blackberries in the mountains around Los Angeles also, but we don’t have so green and lush vegetation like you do.
Katy
August 15, 2017 at 10:15 amWhat a pretty spot Esther. I would love to walk along those paths picking blackberries and spotting squirrels.
Catherine (Cultural Wednesday)
August 15, 2017 at 4:15 pmSquirrels and blackberries what could be finer?
Esther
August 15, 2017 at 9:22 pmI didn’t spot any squirrels, unfortunately. But they were there no doubt, along with owls and other pretty birds. Thank you for stopping by!
Lolo
August 16, 2017 at 9:26 amOh what a lovely trail and a great place to escape from the city!
Erin Gustafson
August 16, 2017 at 9:16 pmWild blackberries! Reminds me of my Oregon on the West Coast of the U.S.! I also need a respite in nature to keep my creativity up – thanks for sharing a bit more about you! Nice to know! Cheers from Copenhagen, Erin
Kana
August 23, 2017 at 5:36 pmYay for blackberries! I spent a lot of my childhood in Washington State and we had tons of blackberries in our backyard. I never knew why anybody would consider it a nuisance up there, I was like “FREE BERRIES!” hahaha! Looks like a beautiful place to immerse in nature!
Janine Good
August 23, 2017 at 10:26 pmThis forest is so lush and beautiful. I love the fresh blackberries and the clean air that is clearly around you. I would love to explore this area someday.