Vakantiepark Sallandshoeve

The Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park has a handy visitor centre that can be reached in under 15 minutes by car, so head here for tips on the tracks and trails that crisscross this wildlife hub. Strolling through these peaceful parts, you might stumble upon the Holten Canadian War Cemetery (10 minutes' drive). For kid-pleasing trips, drive 15 minutes to local theme park Avonturenpark Hellendoorn for antics in the company of the park's ursine mascots Baba and Bella. Budding palaeontologists might want to make tracks for Dinoland Zwolle (35 minutes), where fearsome beasts can be found among the trees; for more fun-sized critters, check out Apenheul, an ape rescue centre where formerly caged primates roam free (35 minutes). The Overijssel region is full of history too: towns around these parts were once part of the Hanseatic League, and modern visitors will see many examples of the wealth generated by this mercantile past. Kasteel Het Nijenhuis (a manor house, museum and sculpture garden) is 20 minutes away by road, while nearby Deventer (20 minutes) and Apeldoorn (35 minutes) are treasure troves of medieval and early-modern architecture.