Twenthe airfield nature reserve

Twenthe Air Base has 130 hectares of nature and recreation area accessible to the public. Lonnekerberg and Hof Espelo and the estates of Driene are reconnected. A special place rich in history.

You may hike and/or bike over and through the nature reserve from sunrise to sunset. Horseback riding and mountain biking are allowed on designated trails. Free walking and biking are allowed on the roads and trails.

Note: No access in rest areas. Dogs are allowed only on a leash and during the breeding season parts of the area are closed.

Pool frog and skylark

Along the experience trail that runs across the former airbase, you will discover meandering streams and pools where the pool frog and crested newt feel at home. But you can also hear the skylark. This is a rare breeding bird in Twente that thrives on the grounds of the former airbase. This is partly due to the open character and the sparse grassland without trees and bushes and the peace that prevails there.

Silent witnesses

The three-kilometer-long experience trail takes you past old military objects as silent witnesses of history.

Parallax

Two former fuel storage tanks (the Air Fuel Station South) have been cut open, partially dismantled and completely cleaned. Through a tunnel you enter the “Parallax. These two vantage points give you a beautiful view over the open field where deer and birds can be seen. A design by artist Paul de Kort and landscape architect Marcel Eekhout.

Doppler

Fighter jet engines were tested in this dismantled hangar. This artwork is about “sound,” “hearing” and “silence. In the large hall (Basilica) you can hear in some places a plane flying overhead, while in others birds are singing. Between the slats of the silencers you can hear a light a murmur. These are the hidden stories of this landscape.

Three entrances

The new nature and recreation area will be accessible from three entrances. On the east side, at Vliegveldweg 345 a little way up the Grefteberghoekweg, there will soon be space on the left for parking cars. The other entrances, at Weerseloseweg 356 onto the cart track, or on the north side of Grefterberghoekweg, are suitable as entrances for hikers and cyclists.