The Kralingse Bos is a wooded park that surrounds the Kralingse Park lake. The park is popular with joggers and inline skaters. You can also sail, swim or just relax in the sun with your barbecue.
Versatile forest with a beach pool, for rest and recreation
Barbecuing at the beach pool, visiting the De Kraal petting zoo, running around the lake: there are many reasons why Rotterdammers love the Kralingse Bos.
Peace & quiet
The outer ring is wooded and peaceful. In the area between the Manege Kralingen stables and the golf course, you will find quiet paths under tall old trees. It’s also quiet between the deer park and the petting zoo; you can hear the woodpecker hammering and the pheasants running through the bushes. Are you a romantic? Then take a walk over the bridges towards the windmills De Lelie and De Ster at dusk. These are the only still functioning snuff and spice mills in the Netherlands.
With the kids
Children can play and romp at the beach pool and petting zoo. There is a cable car, a nature playground, clambering stones and climbing trees. The stones come from the Delftse Poort; the city gate destroyed in the Second World War. De Kraal petting zoo is also accessible with a pulling raft.
Pure nature
The botanical garden is behind the beach pool. This waterfront island has an exciting jetty path over a swamp and meter-high ferns. The kingfisher fishes along the bank, recognisable by its bright blue feathers.
There are fish ladders between the high reeds behind the garden. From the bridges, you can see thousands of glittering fishes swimming in the nursery; young fish swim into the lake through the garden and the root islands.
The insect valley, behind the fish ladders, is a marshy and sparse area ideal for amphibians and insects.
