The Veluwe national park is right on Apeldoorn's doorstep and the obvious day out -- rent a bike and spend a day exploring the forests, heathland and sand drifts. The Hoge Veluwe park within it houses the Kroller-Muller Museum with its exceptional Van Gogh collection.
The village of Loenen, about 10 km southeast, is a traditional Dutch hamlet set among green gardens and historical monuments. You can reach it by bus, by car, or aboard the Veluwsche Stoomtrein heritage railway. On the way, the Loenen war cemetery holds over 2,500 graves of World War II victims. The Huis Horst Gardens in Loenen, surrounding a 16th-century Renaissance mansion, are particularly beautiful.