Are you looking for a holiday close by where you can enjoy nature and the outdoors, but where you also have plenty of entertainment inside when the weather is bad? Then Center Parcs Het Meerdal is definitely worth checking out! This holiday park in the middle of the forests of Limburg has recently been completely renovated with beautiful cottages and a nature experience for young and old, while you don't have to miss out on the subtropical swimming pool and familiar Center Parcs entertainment either. Saskia spent a weekend there with her family and is already homesick for this place.
Nature experience at Center Parcs
In cooperation with Center Parcs
When you think of Center Parcs, you think of family holidays, fully equipped holiday homes, subtropical swimming pools and entertainment for young and old. But did you know that nature lovers can also have a great time at Center Parcs? The originally Dutch holiday concept with 29 parks in Europe, nine of which are in the Netherlands, is surrounded by nature. In fact, it has been the company's philosophy for 55 years to build a maximum of about ten per cent of a park. The other ninety per cent must remain nature, so that we as guests can enjoy it and the park remains a good and rich habitat for plant and animal species.
During my visit, for example, I learned that every holiday park has a biodiversity plan led by a biologist and landscape architect and a team of nature specialists. During a morning or evening walk on the park, you are therefore very likely to greet other co-inhabitants such as bats, otters, deer, squirrels, bees, butterflies and a variety of bird species.
Walking through the park, you can all spot greener initiatives.
Center Parcs: an archetypal Dutch concept
Did you know that Center Parcs was founded in 1968 by a Dutch entrepreneur Piet Derksen? He wanted to bring people together with nature and started his first holiday park on a piece of land in Limburg called Sporthuis Centrum. It was groundbreaking for the time: holidaying in nature, but in comfortable cottages with sitting pit, television and indoor swimming pool on the park grounds. Although the parks were a lot simpler back then than they are now, it was an innovative way of celebrating holidays. He created a holiday concept that grew considerably in the following years. The philosophy always remained the same: building holiday parks in combination with nature restoration projects. What many people do not know is that the green parks were created in places where nature was not in the best condition, such as old mines, gravel excavations and old military training areas. You can no longer imagine that when you walk or cycle among all that greenery.
Discover the Limburg forests at Het Meerdal
One of the oldest parks still owned by Center Parcs is Het Meerdal in the forests of Limburg. This park is very popular among guests (it always scores in the top of the Netherlands!) which also immediately explains why many holidaymakers return to this place year in and year out. This park has undergone a metamorphosis: the cottages and central facilities have been renovated and all kinds of activities have been added to experience nature together. That made us extra curious about this park: this sounds like the best of both worlds! Less than 120 kilometres from Utrecht, you can experience the ultimate holiday feeling here in the woods without sacrificing luxury. And that wild water rapids? It's still there, of course! In fact, Aqua Mundo, the subtropical swimming pool, has been extended with a serious Water Playhouse. So you won't be bored for a single moment!
The forest with swimming lake at Center Parcs Het Meerdal.
Center Parcs Het Meerdal: a unique experience in the middle of nature
We were invited by Center Parcs to come and experience their revamped holiday concept of Het Meerdal for a weekend: sleeping in the revamped cottages, participating in the nature experience activities and all the familiar Center Parcs activities. We experienced an unforgettable weekend with the family and with friends who also attended. To start at the end: when the weekend was over, a tear was shed. ‘I don't want to go to school, I want to go to Center Parcs,’ my little son said bemusedly as we unpacked the weekend bag back home after returning.
It's not just for children, parents also have a great time at Het Meerdal. While the children were never bored, we enjoyed the winter sun on the terrace, the smell of pine needles and the squirrels and deer whizzing by. We found the variety of nature and the familiar child-friendly and comfortable holiday concept very relaxing and ideal for a changeable weekend getaway in March. Can you imagine what this park must be like in spring and summer when everything is in bloom!
At Het Meerdal, you can be sure of a successful holiday all year round. In winter, you can enjoy the fresh outdoors, the winter sun, the fireplace and indoor activities. And in summer you can pick the tastiest fruit and vegetables in the vegetable garden for a summer barbecue in the back garden and take a dip in the swimming lake.
Renewed cottages at Center Parcs Het Meerdal.
Handy!
At check-in at Het Meerdal, every guest receives a bracelet. This allows you to check in digitally, it is also the key to your cottage and you can use it to book activities. The bracelets also provide access to the Aqua Mundo, and really great: you can use them to operate a pool locker! So you don't need coins (which I always forget by default)....
What to expect from the Nature Experience at Het Meerdal
You can explore nature on your own or let a park ranger take you in tow, because only then will you really learn to look at the beautiful nature with different eyes. What is there to do in nature?
Nature experience Center Parcs Het Meerdal.
- The Experience Farm is the heart of the park. Here live the goats, sheep, dwarf pigs, peacocks, geese, ducks, chickens and other farm animals that the children can help look after. You will also find the kitchen garden ‘the Flavour Nursery’ where herbs, fruits and vegetables are grown and where you can learn all about vegetable gardening. You are also sometimes allowed to pick fruit and herbs to cook with in your cottage.
- At the Nature Lodge, you can participate in workshops and learn about all aspects of life on a farm.
- The Clamber Forest is a natural play forest where children can climb and clamber to their heart's content and discover nature. They can take the bumpy Ravot course or have fun at the Swinging Trees. Daredevils can jump from one tree trunk to the next on the Dare trail.
- The Forest Theatre has room for entertainment and a variety of fun and educational performances on the programme.
- The park also has a food forest. In the Smulbos and Bessenbos grow all kinds of fruits, fruits and nuts, such as hazelnuts, almonds, apples, pears, strawberries and peaches. The Berry Forest consists of trees and shrubs that are a rich food source for birds, butterflies and bees.
- Perhaps the best thing of all: exploring the vegetable garden under the guidance of a Ranger, using ‘the harvest’ as an ingredient to prepare a tasty dish with children in the Nature Kitchen. In addition, an experienced Ranger goes out a few times a week to discover the nature of the neighbouring De Heere Peel nature reserve with guests.
- You can also take a bicycle tour of local farms where local produce is grown and sold. For example, the area is known for growing blueberries and asparagus. Upon arrival, we received a welcome pack with local products from the region including blueberry juice, berry jam, blueberry chocolates and blueberry secco (a kind of blueberry prosecco). These regional products are also on sale in the park shop.
Center Parcs and sustainability
A holiday park - and especially a chain like Center Parcs - can make a big positive difference by making its entire operations more sustainable. In the first place, this means green energy generation, good insulation of the cottages and main buildings, good waste disposal, sufficient vegetarian choice and local products in the restaurants and parks rich in biodiversity. All these themes are being worked on, but Center Parcs also admits that there is still work to be done in some areas. For example, the park would like to install solar panels on more roofs or create solar meadows in the area, but it is not always feasible yet due to the wooded surroundings. However, all energy is generated green and it is working towards 25% less energy consumption by 2025 and 35% less CO2 emissions. New parks will not be connected to natural gas.
We previously tipped sustainable travel labels What to look out for when choosing and booking your holiday. Center Parcs has three of these renowned features:
- Since 2020, all parks have held the Green Key certificate, this is a hallmark that sets high standards for green, sustainability and social commitment in the travel industry. This seal shows that the company is doing everything possible to minimise its pressure on the environment.
- All Dutch parks hold a Green Key Gold certificate. The park received this highest award through additional measures such as the introduction of reusable bags, water conservation, a flora and fauna management plan and a smart thermostat in the cottages, among others.
- Center Parcs was the first company in the leisure sector to comply with ISO 14001 and 150001 standards as they ensure appropriate environmental and energy management.
Surprising sustainable facts
But there are more sustainable facts that will make you look at your Center Parcs with different eyes. For example, all parks are a biodiversity plan led by in-house biologist Jean Henkens, who has worked at Center Parcs for more than 40 years, little chlorine is needed in swimming paradise Aqua Mundo (goodbye red eyes!), the cottage accommodation is sustainable and energy-efficient thanks to smart thermostats and water-saving shower heads, the tropical décor in the Market Dome and in the swimming pool consists of endangered plants that have been rescued from destruction and given a second life here and cared for without pesticides, in the restaurants you have plenty of vegetarian and vegan choices (the pasta bolognese and the nacho dish come standard with vegetarian minced meat), orange peels are preserved to make soap, coffee grounds turn out to be an excellent substrate for growing your own oyster mushrooms (we know that at thegreenlist.nl also) and old frying oil is used for biodiesel.
Indoor activities and vegetarian food at Center Parcs Het Meerdal.
Would you like to know more about all Center Parcs' sustainable projects both in nature conservation, biodiversity, climate and social projects? Then check out this website.
Also going to Het Meerdal?
See more about Het Meerdal and the Comfort, Premium and VIP cottages and the other parks. (Little) horse lovers take note: at Het Meerdal, you also have pony cottages with a pony at your cottage. I'm a horse girl, so this cottage would definitely have been on my bucket list in the past!
More sustainable tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Also see: 24 Hours in Tilburg, this is the place to be!
- Also see: Original family holiday: a week's road trip through Friesland.
- Also see: holidays on Terschelling, the list of the best Terschelling tips!
- Also see: Experience nature at Center Parcs De Vossemeren in Belgium
Photo credits: Milan Vermeulen/Center Parcs, Ton Hurks/Center Parcs, thegreenlist.nl.
