What is ede known for?

The city of Ede is located in the center of the Netherlands, directly between the larger cities of Utrecht and Arnhem in the province of Gelderland. The population is slightly more than 100,000 people. The Saxons founded this beautiful, picturesque city in the 8th century.

A Picturesque City

The city of Ede is a popular tourist and holiday spot for the people of the Netherlands. It is known for being a green city, due primarily to its proximity to the Hoge Veluwe National Park and the fact that it is partially built in a forest. Indeed the city is famous for its woods and heathland. Though relatively small in population, the city and municipality has quite a large land area. In fact, the land area is an impressive 318.68 square kilometers, with less than half of a square kilometer being water.

The city celebrates its natural beauty each year with a festival called Heideweek, which literally means “Week of the Heather.” During this festival a queen and princess of the heather are chosen from a list of candidates, and remain with that title until the following year’s festivities.

A Connected City

Though the city is located in such an undeveloped region, the economy is still thriving, thanks in part to a well-connected rail system, which makes travel to and from the major surrounding cities easy and affordable.

A City Focused on Tourism

In years past, the economy of Ede was based primarily on factory labor, and military conscription. However with the end of conscription service and the closing of the factories, tourism has become the main industry of the town. Each year nearly 2 million tourists stay in Ede. Camping and holiday vacations have become quite popular and the city claims to have something for everyone.

Along with tourism, an emphasis on education has also been on the rise. Though military conscription is no longer active, the Army still maintains a presence in the city and is an employer as well.

A Growing Business Attraction

Due to its centrality of location in the Netherlands, Ede has become quite attractive to businesses and is also a popular convention city. Currently there are over 8,000 businesses employing over 55,000 people.

Ede is easily reached by car, using the A12 (from Utrecht and Arnhem) and the newly finished A30 (from Amersfoort and Apeldoorn). The A12 can get quite congested during rush hours.

The city's main train station is called Ede-Wageningen, and has direct intercity connections to Utrecht (25 min), Amsterdam (1 hr), Nijmegen and Amersfoort, as well as smaller stations on those lines. The station is located 3 km south of the city center. Trains run roughly every 15 minutes between 05:00 and 01:00. A smaller station called Ede Centrum is located in the town centre and served by regional trains. It offers connections to the out-of-town intercity station and to Amersfoort.

Although less convenient for longer distances, the extensive network of bus lines can be useful to get to the Hoge Veluwe National Park, and to smaller, nearby destinations. To get to the park entrance, take bus 108 to Otterlo. There, change to bus 106 to Hoenderloo and get out at either the park's Visitor Centre or at the Kröller-Müller Museum. With some 160 different bus services in the region, it's best to plan any other trips through the national public transport trip planner on 9292OV.

With recreational bicycle and walking tours as one of the main attractions, bicycle lanes and walking paths are abundantly available. Major highways excepted, you'll generally find one along any street.

If you arrive by train, you'll probably end up on intercity station 'Ede-Wageningen', which is about 3 km (2 mi) south of the centre of town. From there, you can either walk, hop on a local train or catch a bus to the centre. Bus lines are good, not too expensive, and frequent (except at night). Of course, you could also take a taxi.

Hiring a bike is also a good alternative. Ede is generally flat, although the northeast corner of the town is elevated a bit, as it rises towards the heather fields and forests of the Veluwe. Bicycle lanes and paths in and around Ede, just like anywhere on the Veluwe, are excellent.

The town may not be of major interest, but it receives many visitors nonetheless. Many stay in the city as a base to explore the natural beauty of the Veluwe region, or more specifically the Hoge Veluwe National Park. A popular domestic short stay destination, this is one of the most extensive and interesting national parks in the country. At a stone's throw from town, the park's relatively extensive forests begin. Other parts of the park feature heathlands, desert patches with shifting sands, streams and small lakes.

The whole region played an important role in the country's liberation during World War II. As part of Operation Market Garden, Allied soldiers parachuted into the Ginkelse Heide close to Ede before marching on Arnhem. In Ede (like in neighbouring towns), several monuments were established in remembrance of World War II and the soldiers who gave their lives. The main one is the Airborne Monument on the Ginkelse Heide landing area.

As a mid-sized Dutch town, Ede has a good range of standard stores, including several well-known fashion and department stores. The main shopping street consists of the Grotestraat and the following Maandereind. Friday evening, most shops in the centre stay open until 21:00 and most supermarkets are open until 21:00 on all opening days. On Sundays, opening hours are limited and many non-essential stores may be closed.

The main market is held on Saturdays (08:00-17:00), when some 50 stalls set up om the Markt along the Molenstraat. On Monday mornings (08:00-14:00) about 35 stalls can be found at the same spot.

Although you'll find establishments scattered throughout town, some of the cafes and restaurants are concentrated in and around three streets: Museumplein (just outside Ede Centrum railway station) The Parkweg, (close to the Ede-Wageningen main station) and the Marktplein on the northern end of the town centre.

Some of the most popular picks include:

For any serious nightlife you're better off in Nijmegen, but if you're just looking for a good way to spend your evening, Ede does have a rather large number of nice cafés and bars. Your best bet when looking for cold beers and a chat is to head to the Museumplein, where you'll have a bunch of good places to choose from.

The Ede-Wageningen railway station is best avoided past midnight. Otherwise, Ede is quite safe. In the surrounding forests or heaths, there's a small chance of encountering wild boars. If you spot one, do not approach. Simply walk away.

The obvious next stop for more visitors is of course the Veluwe, but other historic cities and natural areas are just a short drive away.

Ede is a local trading centre for cotton, palm produce, yams, corn (maize), cassava (manioc), pumpkins, okra, and kola nuts, and it has been a major exporting point for cocoa and palm oil and kernels since the construction of the railway from Lagos in 1906.