Star Trips in Belgium and the Netherlands from the De Vossemeren Holiday Village of the Center Parcs Chain
More articles about the Center Parcs chain:
♦
Village Nature Holiday Village near Paris
♦ "Center Parcs" Holiday Villages Chain
♦
Center Parcs in the Lorraine Region in France
♦
Center Park Allgäu in Southern Germany
The "De Vossemeren" holiday village De Vossemeren of the Center Parcs chain is located in northern Belgium, less than a five-minute drive from the Dutch border. The village is situated in a forest with lakes and sandy beaches, making it ideal for a family vacation in the Netherlands and Belgium with any composition.
Book Center Parcs holidays through the trusted Booking.com site:
In the Netherlands:
♦ In Southern Holland:
Center Parcs De Kempervennen Eindhoven
♦ In South-East Holland
Center Parcs Heijderbos Limburg-Weeze
♦ In Holland, about a 40-minute drive from Amsterdam:
Center Parcs Eemhof Flevoland-Holland
In Holland, by the sea west of Amsterdam:
In South-West Holland, by the sea:
Center Parcs Port Zélande beach
Belgium
In Northern Belgium:
Center Parcs Vossemeren Flanders
Or:
Center Parcs Erperheide Flanders
France
♦ Village Nature - located 40 km east of central Paris, and only 6 km from Disneyland Paris! Just about a half-hour drive from Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris's main airport).
♦ Les Trois Forets Located in the Lorraine region, adjacent to Alsace. The village is located about an hour's drive from the city of Strasbourg in Alsace and about an hour's drive from Nancy in Lorraine.
♦ Center Parcs Les Bois Francs - about a two-hour drive west of Paris.
The village
De Vossemeren is located near the town of Lommel, which has many supermarkets including the discount chains Lidl and Aldi, and a wealth of restaurants (from family-friendly to Michelin-starred restaurants).
The holiday village grounds feature two large lakes and a forest. The houses are single-story, and each has a garden overlooking the forest or the lake blending into nature.
It is recommended to rent bicycles for the entire period or, for those not fond of cycling, to rent a family golf cart where driving from place to place is also part of the experience.
It is advisable to stay at the holiday village for a week and not leave it for at least two days to enjoy what the park has to offer.
The uniqueness of this holiday village is a gigantic indoor area called "Adventure Bay" Pirate world Discovery Bay: in an indoor structure (suitable for all weather) lies an adventure park with a pirate ship motif featuring rope bridges, slides, water and sand play, and of course a cafe. For older children—a challenging course, and for the little ones—plenty of entertainment and active recreation options. Entrance is free for village guests. It is recommended to bring swimwear and water sandals. This attraction has undergone serious renovation and upgrading and also includes a high ropes/adventure park for the bolder ones: High Adventure, the high ropes course.
The most successful attraction in the holiday village, as in all parks of the Center Parcs chain, is the "Aqua Mundo" Aqua Mundo: an indoor tropical water park with a wave pool, wild river, lazy river, four great water slides, a toddler pool, and even a pool where you can swim and snorkel among fish.
In De Vossemeren, similar to the chain's other successful holiday villages, there are also play and shooting facilities for children, trampolines, mini-golf courses (both indoor and in nature), sports fields (some indoor), a kids' club, swimming and boating lakes, including inflatable facilities inside one of the lakes, and even a nature walking trail The Nature Trail across bridges inside the lake and forest. You can independently walk this beautiful trail on foot or by bike, or join a free two-and-a-half-hour guided tour by rangers featuring various activities and animations. The holiday village also has a petting zoo with a petting corner and pony rides or therapy.
Adjacent to the Aqua Dome is a large indoor area called "Market Dome" Market Dome featuring a small supermarket, several shops, a selection of restaurants, bowling, an entertainment stage, as well as small streams and trees housing huge goldfish, sea turtles, parrots, and even flamingos. Even a spa and wellness center Nature & Spa Wellness Center can be found in the Market Dome.
Accommodations:
The holiday village features apartments and cottages in a variety of sizes and across three levels: Comfort, Premium, and VIP. All apartments are comfortable and well-equipped, with an equipped kitchen, a spacious living room with a fireplace and heating radiators for cool days, and a yard. The smallest apartments include one bedroom and are suitable for a couple, while the largest include up to 5 bedrooms and accommodate up to 10 guests. There are also special 2- and 3-bedroom cottages called "Wonders of Nature cottage" with magical and interactive surprises of nature's magic. Each room in them is dedicated to a different natural phenomenon.
The holiday village also features a hotel with double rooms, including all hotel services and breakfast. The hotel was recently extensively renovated.
Attractions and Tourist Sites Around the Park:
The De Vossemeren holiday village is an excellent starting point for various trips, both in Belgium and the Netherlands:
Efteling Theme Park Resort Resort
The number one attraction that must not be missed is the Efteling Themepark Resort in southern Belgium (Note: the text says southern Holland).
The park suits every family composition, updating and renewing over the years while still retaining its charm and nostalgia with a fairy tale area, talking trash cans, and everything set in lush green scenery of trees, flowers, and water.
Anyone looking for dizzying roller coasters and modern rides will find them in abundance.
But even those arriving with young children will thoroughly enjoy the variety of rides for toddlers, the fairy tale area, the carousel area which was the heart and core of the park when founded, designed and interactive playgrounds, and various shows.
The entrance fee is very reasonable (one-third of Disney...) and can be reduced even further by registering in advance on the park's official website. Anyone arriving there within a month and a half of their birthday can purchase up to 6 tickets at a 12 Euro discount. It is likely that in every family you can find at least one person celebrating a birthday within such a date range. Even the food is completely reasonable in price and quite large in variety with discounted children's meals.
It is worth dedicating a full day to the park, arriving before opening and staying after closing. The rides remain open even after the official closing time, and the fountain shows near the park exit take place long after the official closing time.
A perfect day trip that must not be missed for any family coming to the Netherlands.
From the Center Parcs De Vossemeren holiday village, it is a one-hour drive north.
Short video about Efteling:
Open-Air Museum "Bokrijk" Openluchtmuseum Bokrijk
Located about a 45-minute drive south of Center Parcs De Vossemeren near the city of Genk in Belgium.
This is a wonderful destination for a family day trip from the holiday village. In addition to characteristic structures such as a windmill, ancient houses, animal farms, etc., which can be found in most open-air museums around the world, this museum has several things that turn this day trip into an exceptionally successful family experience:
First, a large complex, half indoor and half outdoor, of charming local games. Tablet and TikTok kids (as well as their parents and even grandparents) enjoy playing and throwing various cute and diverse antique games.
In addition, for a modest fee, various craft activities can be done: from painting fabric bags to woodworking, pottery, and leatherwork.
The highlight for the children: adjacent to the museum (and free!) near a successful family restaurant is a gigantic playground, the largest I have ever seen with truly great facilities. Some are tailored for toddlers, some are even accessible, and many are for the bolder ones. The main problem is extracting the kids from there.
Hasselt
This is a small town in northern Belgium located about 40 km (about fifty minutes' drive) south of the holiday village.
It is a wonderful destination for a family day trip from the holiday village. It has two main attractions: Plopsa Indoor Hasselt: an indoor amusement park suitable for all weather. Ideal for children aged 2-9 who can spend even a whole day there. It has plenty of cute and diverse rides and also a restaurant.
Nearby (two minutes' drive or a fifteen-minute leisurely walk) are Japanese Gardens, considered the largest in Europe -
Japanese Garden, a magical and peaceful place with lakes, waterfalls, trees (some of which turn autumn colors in fall), a traditional house, and plenty of huge, colorful fish that can be fed (with fish food bought there). The place features a bonsai tree exhibition as well as a coffee shop and Japanese food stalls. The modest entrance fee also includes a cup of tea or coffee.
Bobbejaanland Amusement Park
A large, successful, and well-maintained amusement park featuring an impressive selection of amusement rides for all ages. Located about a 50-minute drive (40 km) west of De Vossemeren park. The park has over 50 rides, including serious roller coasters packed with loops, several water-splashing rides, simulators, and an entire area for toddlers. In the heart of the park is a large lake where you can boat. The park features a "Wild West Town" and an "Indian Village". Various shows take place at the site (mainly in the summer months).
Beverland Maaseik
An indoor amusement park especially suited for toddlers, located about an hour (50 km) southeast of the holiday village in the town of Maaseik. It is worth visiting the park on Wednesday when the successful local market is open.
Beekse Bergen Safari Park
A large, successful, and award-winning safari park in the Netherlands, where you travel on foot, by car or bus, and by boat among a huge variety of animals, located an hour (60 km) north of the holiday village.
Eindhoven
The city is located about 40 minutes (30 km) north of the holiday village and is the closest large Dutch city to the holiday village. It and its surroundings offer a wealth of family attractions: from the PreHistorisch Dorp prehistoric village which is a sort of interactive open-air museum, Van Gogh's Village of Nuenen, a zoo named DIERENRIJK, through interesting museums like the DAF Museum and the Philips Museum, to the Het Veem Food Market
Day trips can also be organized to major Belgian cities:
Antwerp Antwerp
Located about an hour and a quarter (80 km) west of the holiday village and known for its successful zoo, the best chocolate museum in Belgium, the diamond museum, its interactive water museum, the maritime museum, and its successful old town center.
Brussels Brussels
Located about an hour and a half (120 km) southwest of the holiday village and abounds with trip options and attractions for every desire and style. Don't miss a visit to the Mini-Europe park and the Atomium!
Airports:
The De Vossemeren holiday village is located about an hour and a half (110 km) northeast of Brussels Airport and about two hours south of Amsterdam Airport, so you can fly to either of these two airports, rent a car, and easily reach the accommodation.