GR 5: NL section
GR5: One of the Europe’s truly long hikes, GR5 spans from The Netherlands until Nice in south France. 2300km 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. Collection is what I decided to do back in September 2020 when hiking a few sections in Vosges national park (more on that hike next month).
Netherlands section: This is the first section of GR5, beginning in Hoek van Holland, a town next to the North sea, and ending in Bergen op Zoom. As Caroll Dorgan describes in his guidebook, the altitude change is negligible, but if you think it’s a boring hike, well, think again. 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.
Plan
How to get to the start. While sitting in a corner of the Netherlands, Hoek van Holland is fairly easy to reach. We 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 to Nice. I swear, we’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. If you read my TMB and Walker’s Haute route posts, you probably know by now that I’m a big fan of Cicerone guidebooks (not sponsored, just a passionate user). GR5 is not an exception and I relied on Benelux and Lorraine edition. Dutch section consists of 7 stages, which can make a very leisurely week. I did the trek in 4 days and definitely challenged my legs. To be fair, I hiked 1 + 3 days, so one weekend took a day hike and then another long weekend 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
Stay
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 (their website is down, but you can find them on Booking.com)
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
