Groene Wissels (Green Loops)

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Groene Wissels: Car-Free Dutch Green Loop Walks

Published 17 July 2025 Updated 5 June 2026

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HikeList Score

Groene Wissels (Green Loops) scored 68/100 on HikeList's trail-quality metrics.

Good

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Ideal length 55
Balanced challenge 50
Scenery & wildness 72
Varied terrain 83
Accommodation 74
Food & support 81
Path quality 80
Season flexibility 63

Computed from length, challenge, scenery & wildness, terrain variety, accommodation, food & support, path quality and season flexibility.

Groene Wissels are nearly 700 self-guided circular day walks across all twelve provinces of the Netherlands, not one continuous long-distance trail. Most loops are 10 to just over 20 km, with a typical walk around 12–15 km and a full published range of roughly 4–26 km. Each takes about 3–6 hours and starts and finishes at the same train station or bus stop. Difficulty is easy: flat Dutch lowland walking, suitable for beginners, families and car-free day hikers, but routes are not physically waymarked.

Route Overview

There is no single start, finish or direction: each Groene Wissel is an individual loop beginning and ending at the same NS train station or bus stop. Published examples include Nijmegen, Baarn, Bergen, Bilthoven and Utrecht Overvecht, with routes spread through Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, North Brabant, North Holland, Overijssel, Utrecht, Zeeland and South Holland. Expect a mix of green city edges, parks, forest, heath, polders, dikes, canals, rivers and wetlands. You follow a written route description, map or GPX from Wandelzoekpagina / WandelZapp rather than trail paint. For other Dutch day-walk ideas, compare the Amstel River Trail, Biesbosch National Park Trail or longer Drenthepad.

Who created the Groene Wissels?

Groene Wissels were created and published by Bart van der Schagt, a former Nederlandse Spoorwegen employee, walker and photographer. He began describing and publishing the walks in 2010; 687 had been published by September 2021 and the total is now close to 700 on Wandelzoekpagina. The name combines “groen” for the green outdoor areas and green city districts the walks pass through, and “wissel”, a railway switch or points, also suggesting the switch from motorised transport to walking.

Notable highlights

Station-to-station design: Every loop starts and ends at the same railway station or bus stop, making the walks practical by public transport and easy to plan without a car.
Dikes, polders and waterways: Many routes cross the engineered Dutch landscape of dikes, polders, sluices, canals and rivers, giving flat, open walking with wide views.
Windmills, churches and farmhouses: Loops often pass windmills, village church towers, castles, forts and traditional farmhouses, adding cultural interest to short day walks.
Forests, heath and wetlands: Several routes thread through woodland, heathland and protected wetland areas rich in birdlife, often close to towns.
Green city edges: Because routes are built around stations, some begin in urban districts before quickly linking parks, green corridors and nearby countryside.
Nationwide coverage: With loops in all twelve provinces, places such as Bergen, Baarn, Nijmegen and Utrecht are part of a broad Dutch walking network.

Challenges to expect

The walking is physically easy, with minimal ascent on most routes, but navigation is the main challenge. Groene Wissels are not marked on the ground, so carry the written description, map or GPX and do not expect waymarked trailheads. Paths can be muddy after rain in spring and autumn, while open polders and dikes can feel exposed in windy weather. Surfaces vary between paved, gravel and dirt.

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Ranked #924 of 974

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