IJssel and Veluwe by Motorhome - Hanseatic Towns, Giethoorn and the Hoge VeluweHanseatic Towns, Giethoorn and the Hoge Veluwe

Arnhem combines the wooded Veluwe with the floodplains of the Rhine and a rich city history. The Netherlands Open Air Museum has been collecting farms and mills from all over the Netherlands since 1912, and features a historic tram line. At the Airborne Museum Hartenstein in Oosterbeek you can learn about the battle for the Rhine bridge, now named the John Frost Bridge. Sonsbeek Park brings streams, ponds and a waterfall close to the city centre. Along the Rijnkade, you can see the city at its liveliest.

Zutphen showcases its rich Hanseatic past in its many listed buildings and narrow streets. The Berkelpoort, a remnant of the medieval city wall, and the Drogenapstoren, a former city gate, are reminders of the city's past. Inside the Walburgiskerk, you will find the Librije, a chained library from the sixteenth century. Wander through the compact city centre, past courtyards, and enjoy a peaceful walk along the IJsselkade with a view of the river.

Deventer showcases its rich Hanseatic past in a city centre filled with merchants' houses and late-medieval facades. In the charming Bergkwartier neighbourhood, you can explore entire streets lined with historic buildings. The Brink square is dominated by the Waag (weigh house), dating from 1528, and the tower of the Lebuïnuskerk (St Lebuin's Church). Be sure to try the spiced Deventer koek, a local delicacy the city has produced for centuries. On the far bank of the IJssel lies a green riverside; a foot ferry takes you across to the city centre in a few minutes.

Zwolle showcases its Hanseatic past within the old city moat, on the edge of the IJssel delta. The Sassenpoort, a medieval city gate, still stands proud. At Museum de Fundatie, you can discover art in a building with a striking egg-shaped rooftop structure. Climb to the top of the Peperbus, the tower of the Onze Lieve Vrouwe Basiliek (Basilica of Our Lady), for a panoramic view over the city. Wander through the old streets and along the canals lined with café terraces.

Kampen was one of the most important Hanseatic cities on the IJssel river in the late Middle Ages, a history still visible along the waterfront. On Oudestraat stands the late-Gothic Old Town Hall, with a Renaissance chimneypiece in the aldermen's hall, next to the classicist New Town Hall. The Koornmarktspoort and the Bovenkerk dominate the cityscape. At the Koggewerf on the IJssel lies the Kamper Kogge, a reconstruction of a 14th-century trading ship. From the opposite bank of the river, the city's gates and towers form a single silhouette.

Giethoorn is a water village where narrow islands with thatched-roof farmhouses are only accessible via wooden bridges or by water. The old centre is car-free and perfect for a walk along the canals. You can explore by electric whisper boat or be punted past the gardens in a traditional punt. Outside the village, the reed beds and lakes of De Wieden open up, part of Weerribben-Wieden National Park. Between May and September it can get busy around midday, but early in the morning or towards the evening the water is wonderfully quiet.

Elburg is laid out on a strictly rectangular street grid, planned inland around 1392 and hardly changed since. From the ramparts, you can take in this urban plan at a single glance. The road through the Vischpoort, the only remaining town gate, led to the harbour where eel is still smoked over a wood fire in the old fishing quarter. Today the harbour of this small town looks out over the Drontermeer.

A rare combination of nature, art and wildlife management can be found in De Hoge Veluwe National Park. On a free white bicycle you can explore the vast heathland, drift sands and forests along paved paths, children included. The Kröller-Müller Museum displays a large Van Gogh collection and an impressive sculpture garden. Further on is the Jachthuis Sint Hubertus. At the wildlife observation posts, you can spot red deer, mouflon and wild boar at dusk.

Amersfoort has an almost intact medieval centre, surrounded by a double ring of canals. The 15th-century Koppelpoort, a combined land and water gate, once closed off the city. The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwetoren towers high above the rooftops, the only part of the church to survive an explosion in 1787. Along the Muurhuizen, houses stand on the foundations of the first city wall. The compact city centre is quieter than Utrecht, and its narrow streets are perfect for a stroll.

Arnhem combines the wooded Veluwe with the floodplains of the Rhine and a rich city history. The Netherlands Open Air Museum has been collecting farms and mills from all over the Netherlands since 1912, and features a historic tram line. At the Airborne Museum Hartenstein in Oosterbeek you can learn about the battle for the Rhine bridge, now named the John Frost Bridge. Sonsbeek Park brings streams, ponds and a waterfall close to the city centre. Along the Rijnkade, you can see the city at its liveliest.