Villas in Gelderland

Kerkdriel suits lake holidays, Hoenderloo is at the gate of the Hoge Veluwe, and Rekken and Lochem suit Achterhoek cycling. Gelderland is inland, so there is no beach, but Schiphol is around an hour from the closest houses. Expect holiday homes rather than villas, and plan to cycle.

Where

Villas: 49
From, per week: £552
Cheapest month: October
Nearest airports: Amsterdam Schiphol, around an hour and a quarter from London, is about an hour from Kerkdriel and Maurik and two hours from Rekken. Eindhoven suits Kerkdriel. Ferries from Harwich to Hook of Holland and from Hull to Rotterdam land an hour and a quarter to two hours' drive away. Driving from Calais takes roughly three and a half to five hours.

Where to stay in Gelderland

Kerkdriel and the Bommelerwaard (south-west)

Most of our Gelderland houses are in Kerkdriel, a village on the Maas between the two big rivers. Old sand-extraction lakes next to the village are used for swimming, sailing and fishing. Kasteel Ammersoyen, a moated castle, is a few minutes away, and the fortified town of Zaltbommel about 15 minutes. Den Bosch is around 20 minutes. Eindhoven airport is roughly 45 minutes, Schiphol about an hour.

Best for: Families who want swimming lakes, boating and Den Bosch nearby

Not for you if: You want woods and heath: this is flat river land of dykes and orchards.

Hoenderloo, Wenum Wiesel and Voorthuizen (the Veluwe)

Hoenderloo sits at one of the entrances to the Hoge Veluwe National Park, where you can borrow a free white bike and ride to the Kröller-Müller Museum and its Van Gogh paintings. Wenum Wiesel is on the north side of Apeldoorn, near the palace of Het Loo and the Apenheul monkey park. Voorthuizen is on the western edge, close to Barneveld and Amersfoort. Schiphol is about an hour and a quarter away.

Best for: Cycling through forest and heath, wildlife and art

Not for you if: You want quiet roads in summer: the Veluwe is one of the busiest day-trip areas in the country.

Rekken and Winterswijk (eastern Achterhoek)

The far east of Gelderland is a patchwork of small fields, hedgerows, farms and woods, crossed by the river Berkel. Rekken is a hamlet on the Berkel close to Eibergen, and the German border is a few minutes' ride away. Winterswijk, where Piet Mondriaan grew up, has the Villa Mondriaan museum and a good spread of shops. Schiphol is about two hours by car.

Best for: Gentle cycling and walking along the German border

Not for you if: You want a city nearby: Enschede is the largest, about half an hour away.

Lochem (Achterhoek and the IJssel towns)

Lochem is a small town on the Berkel, with a wooded hill, the Lochemse Berg, on its edge. Around Vorden, about 15 minutes south, cycle routes link a string of country houses and small castles. The old Hanseatic towns of Zutphen and Deventer are 15 and 25 minutes away. Schiphol is roughly an hour and three quarters by car.

Best for: Couples who want a small town base and castle cycle routes

Not for you if: You want much choice: there are only a handful of houses here.

Maurik and Wageningen (Betuwe and the Rhine)

Maurik is a village on the Nederrijn in the Betuwe, Gelderland's fruit-growing district, where cherry, apple and pear orchards blossom in April. The small walled town of Buren is about ten minutes away. Wageningen, on the north bank, is a university town where the German surrender in the Netherlands was agreed in May 1945, and it hosts a big liberation festival every 5 May. Schiphol is about an hour.

Best for: Spring blossom, river walks and orchard cycling

Not for you if: You want hills or forest on the doorstep: the Betuwe is flat farmland behind the dykes.

Ewijk and Lathum (near Nijmegen and Arnhem)

Ewijk is a village by the Waal, around 15 minutes from Nijmegen, one of the oldest cities in the country, with a lively riverside quay. Lathum sits on the IJssel just east of Arnhem, where the John Frost Bridge, the Airborne Museum at Oosterbeek and the Netherlands Open Air Museum are all within 20 to 30 minutes. Choice here is very limited.

Best for: City days and Second World War history

Not for you if: You want peace and quiet: both villages are close to busy roads.

When to go to Gelderland

April and May bring blossom in the Betuwe and good cycling weather before the crowds. July and August are busiest, with Dutch and German families on the Veluwe and the lakes at Kerkdriel, so book early. September and October are quieter, and the Veluwe's red deer rut draws people to the hides at dusk. Inland summers can be hot. Winters are grey and damp, but Arnhem and Nijmegen are good for museums, and many houses stay open all year.