GR5: NL section
GR5 trail: One of Europe’s truly long hikes, GR5 spans from The Netherlands until Nice in south France. 2,300km through different terrains: from the Dutch dunes and dikes, Belgium and Luxembourg forests to Vosges hills and French Alps. You can hike the whole trail in one go, which should take 4 – 5 months, or you can “collect” the trail in sections as stages are easily accessible. The collection is what I decided to do back in September 2020 when hiking a few sections in Vosges national park.
The Dutch section of GR5: The Dutch section is the first section of GR5, beginning in Hoek van Holland, a town next to the North sea, and ending in Bergen op Zoom. Sure, it is not comparable to the long-distance hikes in the Alps, this section did surprise me. I was amazed by the beauty of the coastal Netherlands, the friendliness of people I’ve met, and the variety of fauna on the trail. This was also my first multi-day hike alone, earning a special place in my heart.
How long does it take? Dutch section consists of 7 stages/days, which can make a very leisurely week. I did the trek in 4 days and definitely challenged my legs, especially on the last 2 days. If I walked this section again, I would do it in 5 days to allow my joints to recover.
Difficulty: Overall it’s an easy trail with negligible changes in altitude. However, it involves long stretches on bike paths and roads, which can be challenging, especially on the joints. I sometimes found it more tiring to walk on flat roads instead of hills or mountains as my legs moved in the same motion for a long time.
Itinerary
How to get to the start. While sitting in a corner of the Netherlands, Hoek van Holland is fairly easy to reach. I simply took a metro (line B) from Rotterdam, terminating in Hoek van Holland. If you are flying into the Netherlands, Rotterdam is the city to reach. You can even take a boat from UK directly to Hoek van Holland.
The exact GR5 start is supposedly marked with a huge wooden pole that directs all the way to Nice. I swear, I’ve spent good 15min scouting the area where it’s supposed to be (just outside the metro station), but it was nowhere to be found. The was some construction work around the station, so maybe the pole was removed. If the pole is there, please let me know, I’ll go back and find it! 🙂
Itinerary. I followed Caroll Dorgan’s guidebook and combined a few stages as I did 7 stages in 4 days. Actually, I hiked 1 + 3 days, which meant that I took a day hike on one weekend, and then another long weekend hike of three days.
Day Start Finish Duration (h:mm) Distance Accommodation
1 Hoek van Holland Maassluis 5:30 23km Home
2 Maassluis Rockanje 8:00 28km Badhotel Rockanje
3 Rockanje Herkingen 7:20 27km Bed & Breakfast Herkingen
4 Herkingen Bergen op Zoom 9:00 35km Home
Accommodation
Accommodation overview. As I live so close to the trail, I only stayed in other accommodations on day 2 and 3. I’m sure there are opportunities to camp along the way, but it was a bit too cold for me as I walked in November.
Day 2: Badhotel Rockanje
This was a great hotel: very cozy rooms, friendly staff and good food. What else to ask for, right? In summer you can also enjoy their outside pool, they even have a sauna. I loved a little radiator in a shape of a fireplace in my room, made it really a cozy and warm stay. Staff is also very friendly and makes sure you are comfortable.
Day 3: Bed & Breakfast Herkingen
What a treat! I arrived quite tired and Jeroen like a trail whisperer knew exactly what I needed – a glass of Cola and a bowl of chips. I had my own cute house with all the amenities: a shower, toilet, a little kitchen, dining area and a lot of books 🙂 what made my stay the most special was the friendliness and attentiveness of the host Jeroen. He made sure I have a plan for the next day and even brought me a bowl of soup for dinner (not part of the deal). He was also very flexible with breakfast time (breakfast was huge btw). Did I mention that Jeroen knows the trail very well, has walked it many times (at least the Dutch part) and his picture is in the Cicerone guidebook? Yep, this place is a must for all GR5 walkers.
Gear
For the three-day hike I carried on my shoulders the following items:
- Backpack: women’s Osprey Sirrus 24
- Camera: Sony a6000 + kit lens (35-55mm)
- Backpacking stove: MSR PocketRocket 2 Mini Oven Kit
- Dried food: Adventure Food (vegetable hotpot & Pasta alle Noci)
- E-reader: PocketBook Touch HD 3
- Cicerone guidebook
- First aid kit
- Water flask: Klean Kanteen Classic Sport cap 0.8l
- Snacks
Daily journal
So how was it? I wrote my experiences and adventures in the daily journal below. For each day you’ll find not only my stories, but also more pictures and practical tips for that particular stage. If you still miss any information, feel free to post your question(s) in the comment section (at the bottom of each daily journal) or contact me via a contact form.
Day 1: When you cannot find the start
Talking about the start – we never found the official start of GR5. There was supposed to be a high pole with various directions, including one to the end of GR5, Nice in France.
Day 2: Getting over my hiking fear - cows
The last 2 hours until Rockanje lead through Voornes Duin dunes, a lovely section zigzagging up and down sandy hills. I was enjoying it a lot until… I met a couple who warned me that there are cows on the path in the direction I was walking.
Day 3: Goodbye dunes, hello dykes!
It’s 8:30 and I’m leaving the hotel after a good rest and a big breakfast. No time to waste in November since I have sunlight for ~ 9 hours only. Rockanje seemed to be still asleep as I walked through quiet streets.
Day 4: The longest hiking distance in a day - 35km, baby!
Yep, today is a big day. My first +30km day in my hiking career 🙂 I’m merging two stages and hiking all the way to Bergen op Zoom as there was no ideal option to leave the trail somewhere in between.
Photos
