Walking on the Sallandse Heuvelrug: A Day Full of Nature and Peace
You take your first steps in the picturesque village of Haarle, where the morning dew still lies like a wafer-thin veil over the fields. The air is fresh, filled with the scent of pine needles and moist earth. Today you walk over the Sallandse Heuvelrug, a rolling landscape full of stories, past old trees and quiet heathlands.

The first few kilometres take you slowly uphill. The path winds between the hills and every now and then you catch a glimpse of the vast heathlands, which would be in full bloom in August. The birds whistle their morning song and somewhere in the distance you hear a woodpecker tapping vigorously against a tree trunk.

Then the Palthe tower appears.
Palthe lived in Almelo and owned the land around the hill, where he hunted regularly. In 1898 he had a tea house built where people could recover from hunting and possibly stay with a few people.
In the years that followed, he had architect Karel Muller design various extensions, such as the gallery and the tower.
Palthe, who founded the Palthe textile factories with two brothers, was very interested in the latest techniques and applied them in the country house.
The house was completely self-sufficient with its own water well and American windmill to generate electricity.
The house also had a pool with a bathhouse. This building still exists, it is called the witches' house by the inhabitants of nearby Haarle.
Initially the house was intended as a hunting and holiday home, but later Palthe moved there himself.
The tower offers a wide view of the landscape. You can climb up there and let your gaze wander over the forests and hills that stretch to the horizon. Here you really feel how grand and at the same time peaceful nature is.

With light legs you continue your route, slowly descending through a mix of deciduous and coniferous forests. The smell of resin and damp leaves accompanies you, while your footsteps are muffled by the soft sandy path.

Around noon you reach Herberg De Pas. The wooden facade and thatched roof give the building a cozy appearance. Inside, the fire crackles softly, but on a sunny day you naturally choose a spot outside. A well-filled sandwich or a cup of home-made soup tastes even better here after a few hours of brisk walking.

After lunch you walk back towards Haarle. The route takes you along another side of the Sallandse Heuvelrug, with again breathtaking views and quiet paths where you feel like you are alone in the world. The afternoon sun casts long shadows over the path and every now and then a squirrel shoots away into the bushes.

Finally you arrive back in Haarle, where you look back with a satisfied feeling on a wonderful walk. Your lungs full of fresh air, your head empty of worries - exactly as a day in nature should be.