In the middle of the Achterhoek, I discovered a walking route over the Gorsselse Heide. It is a varied walk that brings you through the whole area. It will show you the surrounding forests and several viewing hills to climb.
Gorsselse Heide
The Gorsselse Heide is a former military training and shooting range in the Achterhoek in Gelderland. The heath is located southeast of the village of Gorssel, between Deventer, Zutphen, and Lochem. Today the Gorsselse Heide is a nature reserve where several beautiful walking and cycling routes have been set out over the heath and through the woods.
A beautiful fen in the middle of the heath
The route runs a short distance through rebate forests and raised areas of land that allow the trees to grow in the wet areas. I arrived at a footbridge over the fen. I paused for a moment to enjoy the surroundings. The sun is shining and the colors are beautiful. It is so peaceful over here. On the Gorsselse Heide, I only met a few walkers.
I slowly walk on, past a wooden gate. To my left, I see wild gale bushes, which often grow on moors and low moor moors. A little further on, the heath begins. The flowers are no longer purple, I am a few months late for that, but it looks beautiful.
Former military training ground In the distance, hills loom in the middle of the landscape. They are shooting bumps, a reminder from the time when the heath was still a military training ground. I walk around one of the hills and see that you can climb it for a nice view of the heath. Not much later I leave the heath again and I follow the Reeverdijk for a while, a dirt road with a cycle path next to it. Next to the road I also see a MTB route meandering through the landscape. I immediately make a mental note to come back here again with my bike. I pause at a bench to drink the fresh ginger tea I brought with me.
Narrow paths through the forest From here, the route makes a few extra loops through the forest. I walk on wide sandy paths and small forest paths that you probably wouldn’t find if you didn’t know the route. You have to be careful though. The walking route sometimes goes over the MTB trails. The paths are so narrow that it can be difficult for cyclists to swerve. As a walker, you have to give space in time.
The route continues through the forest. I turn left when I come to some dilapidated barns, near an old farmhouse. A little further on is an open field with a small pond. You can take a break on the bench. After this, I follow a narrow winding forest path for a while, before I walk the last part over the heath.
Fortunately, there is still plenty to do in Gorssel. The village is picturesque, with nice little shops and restaurants. I have bought myself a ticket to Museum MORE. Museum More is the largest Dutch museum for modern realism. This time I had the chance to visit the Bob Ross exhibition.
The combination of nature, village life, and modern art are splendid.
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