November 29, 2025

Red deer stag in De Hoge Veluwe National Park, Netherlands

Picture 55 square kilometres of open land, wildlife on the move and a stag flaunting its crown of antlers. In 1909, husband and wife Anton Kröller and Helene Kröller-Müller began building a private estate in Gelderland, Netherlands—what we now know as De Hoge Veluwe National Park. Their vision? To merge art and nature. They brought it to life by placing artwork within the landscape, like 'Three Upright Motives' by English sculptor Henry Moore in the Pampelse Zand and the President Steyn stone bench by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde, among others.

Today, the park's forests, woodlands, sand dunes and heathlands shelter wild boar, roe deer, mouflon, wolves and countless birds. Yet red deer stags steal the show. Adult males weigh 160 to 240 kilograms and stand about 95 to 130 centimetres at the shoulder. They graze on grass, leaves and shoots, but also won't say no to fruit or acorns. During the rut, stags display their antlers and bellow to claim territory. They may not travel far, but their search for food and mates keeps the park alive with movement.