Appeldoorn, where you will stay for the duration of the tour is a small, but lively town, with plenty of restaurants and shops, just one and a half hours drive from Amsterdam Airport. It is a convenient base from which to visit all the gardens and country houses on our tour, to keep driving to a minimum. After arrival at Amsterdam Airport, you will be met by your Tour Manager who will accompany you on the transfer to your hotel, where you will have dinner on the first evening.

The following day your first visit will be to the splendid country house garden at De Wiersse. Described as one of the most beautiful gardens in the Netherlands, the 38 acres of gardens and 74 acres of parkland have been in the same family ownership since 1678. The gardens have many surprises for the visitor: avenues, pergolas, a majestic wild garden and winding beech tunnel, as well as the more practical kitchen and cutting gardens.

After lunch there will be a visit to Middachten Castle, reconstructed in 1698 after a turbulent 400 year history. The estate has been in the family for more than 800 years and the original furniture from the 1600’s is intact. The formal gardens bear traces of three centuries of garden history and have a feel of Versailles in their design. Restoration, begun in 1987, has restored the former glory of the beautiful rose garden as well as pears, apricots and peaches carefully trained against the garden walls.

A morning will be spent at Palais Het Loo, known as the ‘Versailles of the north’. Once the favourite hunting seat and country palace of William III and his wife Mary, huge restorations were undertaken in the 17th Century, to both the buildings and the gardens. The palace and gardens are now back to their original splendour and both are open to visitors. The grounds are quite extensive, and if you wish you can remain longer at Het Loo to explore further. Otherwise the afternoon is free for you to perhaps explore Appeldoorn or just relax at your hotel.

The following morning there will be a visit to the town of Deventer and its market, with time to browse and enjoy a taste of Dutch rural life and lunch before travelling on in the afternoon to Castle Warmelo.

Warmelo is one of the five castles surrounding the small town of Diepenheim and its history extends over several centuries. In the 1920’s Baroness F.S.A. Creutz renovated the house and particularly the garden and park which were restored to their original state. The gardens at Warmelo represent various periods of garden architecture, each blending to combine a balanced whole.

A full day exploring the beautiful De Hoge Veluwe National Park and the Kroller-Muller Museum. The park which covers around 55 sq. km, forms one of the largest continuous nature reserves in the Netherlands . Animals in the park include boar, red deer and roe deer. Within the national Park is the Kroller-Muller Museum and includes a considerable collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh, as well as works by Picasso, Rodin, Modrian and Moore. There is also a fine collection of modern and contemporary sculpture in the large sculpture garden. A picnic lunch is included.

On your final day you will be transferred to Amsterdam by coach where there will be time for sightseeing and shopping in this interesting capital city. Whilst in Amsterdam your luggage will be kept on board the coach ready for your transfer to Amsterdam airport for your flight home.


TRANSFERS/TOUR MANAGER
Transport for your tour will be in a comfortable coach. You will be accompanied by an experienced Tour Manager throughout.