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Elburg is one of the best-preserved fortified towns in the Netherlands, right on the Veluwemeer. That combination makes it an ideal day trip: first the medieval streets, then out on the water. On this page you find the best things to do in Elburg and its surroundings, on the water and ashore, with kids and in bad weather.
What can you do in Elburg and on the Veluwemeer?
Elburg is a well-preserved fortified town right on the Veluwemeer: first the medieval streets, then out on the water. With a boat you sail to the islands and beaches without a licence, from Elburg harbour.
The old town of Elburg is a medieval street grid inside a complete rampart with moat. Stroll the narrow alleys, admire the Vischpoort (the old town gate and symbol of Elburg), the ramparts and the casemates. The whole fortress is compact: in an hour or two you have seen the highlights, at your own pace and free of charge.
By the harbour you find Stadsbrouwerij Vos, an artisan brewery in a former fish smokehouse. You can do a brewery tour and afterwards taste the beers in the tasting room under Brasserie Aan de Gracht. Vos beer is also on tap at Restaurant De Haas, and beer lovers can carry on at Jokkebrok aan de Haven, a beer bar on the Havenkade with over 60 craft beers. Good to know if you sailed first: the brewery is a few minutes walk from our boat, so combining a trip on the Veluwemeer with a tasting is easy. The smart order: sail first, taste after.
The old town and the harbour area of Elburg offer a nice range of restaurants and terraces. Think of Restaurant De Haas in the middle of the old town, Stadscafé de Tapperij for tapas and drinks, Brasserie Aan de Gracht near the harbour, and the Yacht Club at the harbour mouth (on the grounds of Jachtcenter Elburg) with a view of the sailing yachts and historic botters. Around the Veluwemeer there are also restaurants you can reach by boat, with their own jetties. They are marked on our water map, including sailing time from the harbour, so you plan a trip with a lunch or drinks stop at exactly the right moment. Arriving on your own boat and out of groceries? At the harbour office you find "bootschappen" bikes that take you straight to the supermarket, route card on the handlebars.
The best way to experience Elburg is from the water. You rent a luxury Primeur 615 boat for up to 8 people in our harbour, no boating licence needed. You first sail through the historic harbour past the traditional botters, then onto the open Veluwemeer. A half day costs €239, a full day €399, fuel included. Along the way you moor at beaches and small islands, or simply drift with the family.
Looking for a boat tour in Elburg? With your own boat you decide the route and the pace, which is the big difference with a group tour. Sail from the harbour onto the Veluwemeer, set course towards Harderwijk or the Drontermeer and moor wherever you like. Our interactive water map shows the routes, depths, mooring spots and waterside restaurants in advance, so your own round trip never runs into surprises.
The Veluwemeer is shallow and warms up quickly in summer, ideal for swimming. Along the shores there are beaches, and in the lake lie small islands where you can moor with a boat. By boat you reach spots you cannot reach by car, and often you have a beach all to yourself. The swimming spots are on our water map.
Thanks to its sheltered position and shallow water, the Veluwemeer is popular with paddleboarders, canoeists and swimmers. Paddleboarding around Elburg works well along the shores and near the beaches, where there is little chop. If you combine it with a boat, simply take the board on board and find a quiet spot on the lake.
Elburg sits on the edge of the Veluwe and the border lakes: forest and heath on one side, water on the other. Cycling and walking routes run along the shores of the Veluwemeer and through the Flevoland polders across the water. A popular combination: cycling or walking in the morning, out on the water in the afternoon.
With children Elburg is a rewarding destination: the old town is compact and nearly car-free, there is water to play in and distances are short. A day on a boat works very well with kids: they swim from the swim platform and a small island turns into one big adventure. Life jackets are free on request, also in children's sizes.
Raining? The old town is still worth it: visit Museum Elburg, explore the casemates, do a brewery tour at Stadsbrouwerij Vos or walk past the botters in the harbour. Booked a boat and the weather turns? In bad weather you reschedule to another day free of charge. That is your call; your rental fee moves to the new day and we do not refund it. The Sail-or-not page shows live whether the boating weather is suitable.
Elburg also makes a great base for a weekend. In the middle of the old town you find Hotel Elburg, a boutique hotel with Stadscafé de Tapperij downstairs. That way you combine a day of boating on the Veluwemeer with an evening in the old town and the Veluwe the next morning. Staying overnight? Most guests book the boat for the best day of the weekend, and you can see the live boating weather on our site.
These are not straight lines but distances over navigable water, measured on our own waterway map from the berth in Elburg harbour. The time is pure sailing at 9 km/h, without stops, mooring or waiting for a bridge.
| Destination | Over water | One way | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Jachthaven Elburg (botters) the historic botters, seen from the water |
0,5 km | 3 min | 6 min |
|
De Eekt a small island in the Drontermeer, just north of Elburg |
4,2 km | 28 min | 56 min |
|
Aanlegplaats De Kleine Zwaan a mooring pier in the Drontermeer |
5,0 km | 33 min | 1 u 6 min |
|
Abbertstrand (Drontermeer) a sandy beach with official swimming water on the Flevoland side |
7,4 km | 49 min | 1 u 38 min |
|
Aqua Centrum Bremerberg a marina on the Flevoland side of the Veluwemeer |
8,1 km | 54 min | 1 u 48 min |
|
Pierland a larger island between Elburg and Harderwijk |
12,8 km | 1 u 25 min | 2 u 50 min |
|
Gemeentehaven Harderwijk Harderwijk harbour, with restaurants ashore |
20,5 km | 2 u 16 min | 4 u 32 min |
Source: our own waterway map, remeasured every night, and the boat's own cruising speed. Always allow more time for a trip: wind, waves and a stop along the way all count. See the water map
Up for a day in Elburg, on the water and ashore?
Check availabilityWritten by the team of Bootverhuur Elburg, who sail the Veluwemeer themselves and maintain the boat.
Last updated: 13-11-2026
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