By editors on February, 14th, 2025
At the end of January, a dream of my daughter came true (and secretly also of the rest of the family), we went on holiday in a tree house at holiday park EuroParcs Ruinen. Unfortunately, my daughter was struck down by the flu a few days before departure, but luckily she recovered a bit during the weekend. In this review we take you to the surprisingly nice EuroParcs Ruinen. In our review of EuroParcs Ruinen we discuss the following points:
- General impression of EuroParcs Ruinen
- The Treehouse XXL and other accommodations at EuroParcs Ruinen
- The swimming pool at EuroParcs Ruinen
- How child-friendly is EuroParcs Ruinen
- Facilities at EuroParcs Ruinen
- Eating facilities at EuroParcs Ruinen
- Location of EuroParcs Ruinen
- Final conclusion of our review of EuroParcs Ruinen
We not only had a lot of fun during our holiday, but also got a good impression of what this park has to offer. In our extensive YouTube video we take you along the highlights and the atmosphere of EuroParcs Ruinen, watch the video below. Subscribe to our channel @Vakantiepark-gids to stay up to date on park visits, reviews and other tips!
General impression of EuroParcs Ruinen
After a 45-minute drive, we arrive at EuroParcs Ruinen. EuroParcs Ruinen is located in the Drenthe countryside near Ruinen, close to the Dwingelderveld National Park. We drive onto the large parking lot next to the mini golf course and walk towards the reception. On the other side of the playing field, which is opposite the reception, we can already see the tree house looming between the treetops. That promises a lot of good! After we have received the access pass for the tree house from the friendly ladies at the reception, we walk back to the car. If all goes well, we can park the car close to the tree house and unload. Let the holiday begin!
What stands out is that the park is situated around an outdoor swimming pool. A wonderful addition when you are on holiday at EuroParcs Ruinen during the warmer months! Furthermore, it is striking how neat the park looks. No leaves or other rubbish lying around. The paths are neat and the green areas are carefully maintained. Everything is neatly pruned and radiates peace and cosiness. You can tell from the employees of EuroParcs Ruinen that they have a lot of passion and love for their park. This applies to both the employees of the reception and the ladies of the Brasserie.
When we walk through the park later in the weekend, it is noticeable that the atmosphere in the park is relaxed, there is a wonderful holiday energy. Behind the outdoor swimming pool, there is also a large camping field. At the edge of the camping field, there is a beautiful unit with showers and toilets. Furthermore, it is noticeable that EuroParcs Ruinen has a wide range of well-maintained accommodations, but more about that later.
With approximately 150 accommodations and a camping field, EuroParcs Ruinen is a medium-sized holiday park, but you can still feel the small scale. And I mean that in a positive way! Approximately half of the accommodations are located on the other side of the road. This contributes to the small scale of the park. Nevertheless, the holiday park has quite a few different facilities, which you normally do not find at a small scale park. Moreover, nature is close by. All this ensures that EuroParcs Ruinen is suitable for everyone. Whether you come with your family, friends or as a (senior) couple, you will not be bored for a moment. You can fully enjoy the great facilities and the nature in the area.
EuroParcs Ruinen is a well-thought-out holiday park, where the combination of a beautiful natural environment, modern facilities and hospitable service comes together to create a unique experience.
Our rating: 8
Accommodations at EuroParcs Ruinen
During our walk through the park, it turns out that there is a nice range of accommodations at EuroParcs Ruinen. For example, there are 2 different types of Tiny Houses, for 2 and 4 people. The Tiny Houses are located in cozy lanes that are pleasantly lit by fairy lights in the evening.
In addition, there are 3 different types of Glamping tents that can be booked at EuroParcs Ruinen. The Four Season Lodge is a safari tent suitable for 6 people. The Glamping family lodge is suitable for up to 10 people. Ideal for a cozy weekend away in nature with the family or your group of friends. Finally, there is the Dog Lodge suitable for up to 6 people and of course the dog.
EuroParcs Ruinen also has 6 different types of chalets. These chalets are suitable for 4 or 6 people. Some chalets of the Hackfort 6 and Velthorst 4 types are equipped with air conditioning! Wonderful for the warmer months. Chalets of the Cube Hottub 6 type are equipped with a wood-fired hot tub.
If you are going on holiday to EuroParcs Ruinen with children, the Kids Cottage is very suitable. In this chalet, a play corner for children has been set up in the living room. One of the bedrooms is specially designed for children with a pull-out bed and a television with a game.
And finally, of course, the Treehouse XXL, an accommodation that is literally and figuratively high up in the trees. We stayed in this special accommodation, you can read about our stay below.
The Treehouse XXL at EuroParcs Ruinen
After we have collected the key card at the reception, we drive off the parking lot and take a small dirt road towards the treehouse. We park the car between the trees about 10 meters from the treehouse. When we walk towards the treehouse, the originality and the well-thought-out design immediately catches the eye. There is a sign on the stairs with information about the treehouse. The treehouse was built with money from the “European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development”. Treehouses have also been built at 4 other holiday parks in Drenthe with the help of this fund. Each tree house has its own unique design.
This tree house at EuroParcs Ruinen has two floors and is suitable for up to 6 people. The first impression is that you are making a childhood dream come true, the stairs to the top already give you the feeling that you are embarking on a small adventure. There is a wood-fired hot tub on the covered terrace. From the terrace you can look out onto the playground in front of the reception. You can keep a close eye on the children from the terrace. We enter the living room and kitchen of the tree house, what is immediately noticeable is that it is nice and warm. The pellet stove has already been stoked for us, what a service, wonderful!
The small kitchen is equipped with everything you need for a relaxing holiday: a dishwasher, 4-burner stove, microwave, coffee maker (filter coffee), kettle and a fridge with freezer compartment. There is also free Wi-Fi available so that we can keep the home front informed and stream our series. Next to the kitchen is the dining table with a wooden bench and 3 separate chairs. You have to grab one of the chairs from the sitting area if you want to sit with 6 people.
In the living room there are 2 comfortable chairs, a couch and a table. There is a TV on a small cupboard and in the corner of the room there is a pellet stove. This pellet stove knows how to heat the tree house nice and warm all weekend, even though it was a maximum of 4 degrees outside. We also found it nice to sit around the pellet stove and enjoy the fire. In the corner of the room by the dining table there is also an electric heater, but we didn't actually use it. These electric heaters are also in the bedrooms. The interior has a natural look that fits perfectly with the tree house.
Behind the living room and kitchen is a small hallway. Through this hallway you enter the toilet, the bathroom, the master bedroom and you will also find the cozy staircase to the upper floor. We were very impressed by how neat the bathroom and the toilet are. You don't expect this in a tree house. The bathroom has a shower cabin and the room is heated by an electric heater. The bedroom downstairs has a double bed and is nice and cozy. From the bedroom window you have a nice view of the treetops.
The stairs to the first floor are a bit of a challenge. They are narrow and squeak a bit when we walk up. But hey, that's also part of the charm of a tree house. The 2 bedrooms upstairs both have 2 single beds. The beds look funny, low. The mattresses seem to be on the floor, but appearances are deceptive. When I lift one of the mattresses there is just a slatted base underneath. My 3 children aged 8, 14 and 17 slept wonderfully here.
What gives the tree house that little bit extra is the covered terrace with the wood-fired hot tub. Friday afternoon we walk back to the reception to buy wood. We buy a starter set consisting of 4 bags of wood and a bag of kindling for 25 euros. Now, those are reasonable prices, unfortunately we have experienced worse. On Saturday we fill the hot tub with water and heat it up, so that we can enjoy the evening in the open air. We really enjoyed our stay in the Tree House XXL, it was a special, cozy and pleasant experience! Curious about the location of the tree house, or the other accommodations? Then check out the map of EuroParcs Ruinen. The tree house itself gets a solid 9 from us! When we include the other accommodations in our rating, we get an 8.
Our rating: 8
Swimming pool at EuroParcs Ruinen
On Saturday, my youngest daughter, even though she has just had a day off from fever, still wants to go for a swim. We cross the field, past the reception and enter the Brasserie. In the hallway next to the Brasserie are the entrance gates for the indoor pool. We walk past the entrance gates, change and splash into the water. The pool is modern and nice and warm, both on the side and in the water. Furthermore, the pool is quite large and with a depth of 140 centimetres not too deep. There is no supervision in the pool. There is a wide slide in the corner. On the side there is a shallow paddling pool, ideal for small children. There are a few chairs around the pool. What you should take into account is that the pool is sometimes closed because swimming lessons are given. We did not experience any inconvenience from this.
Outdoor swimming pool Ruinen
As previously written, EuroParcs Ruinen is located around the outdoor swimming pool Ruinen. This pool is a great addition when you stay at EuroParcs Ruinen from May to about mid-September. The outdoor pool has 3 pools, including a wellness pool and a pool with a family slide. Next to one of the pools is a large play ship, there is a large air trampoline, a beach volleyball court, a panna cage and a fountain square. All pools are sustainably heated by means of solar heat, while the pools are at least 26 degrees warm! The pool is neat and is maintained by volunteers. A wonderful addition when you are on holiday at EuroParcs Ruinen during the warmer months!
Because the outdoor pool is not part of the park in principle, we end up with a 7.5, otherwise we would have given it a solid 8.
Our rating: 7.5
Child-friendliness of holiday park EuroParcs Ruinen
In addition to the swimming pool, EuroParcs Ruinen has several other great facilities for children. As already mentioned, there is a playground opposite the reception with, among other things, a large air trampoline, cable car and water playground. There is another small playground between the Brasserie and the Kids Club.
When the weather is not so good, the indoor playground “Euro Jungle” offers a solution. This indoor playground has a large play and climbing frame with a slide. There are also large Lego blocks that children can use to build. There is also a football table and a large tracker for children to play with.
Then there is also the cross-country track, fun for children to ride on and at the back of the Brasserie there is also a small football field. EuroParcs Ruinen has a beautiful large petting zoo with ponies, pigs and chickens. With children it is fun to walk along the Gnome Path. This path criss-crosses the park.
During the (school) holidays the park offers animation activities for all ages. The teams organize sports activities but also great shows and creative craft activities.
Our rating: 7
Facilities at EuroParcs Ruinen
In addition to the swimming pool and the facilities we mentioned above, there are even more facilities at EuroParcs Ruinen. The park has a beautiful large mini golf course. This mini golf course is beautiful and looks like it has just been built. We had a nice game of golf with our family on Saturday. The different holes were all very nice. There is also a beach volleyball court for a nice game of volleyball. In the reception you will find a self-service park shop with a nice range of useful groceries. You can also rent bicycles and e-choppers there.
If you are on holiday with your dog at Europarcs Ruinen, then you have come to the right place. There is a special dog route through the park where you can walk with your dog. You will also find a dog play area in the park. In the dog play area, dogs can run around freely and run around. The area is fenced and there are various play equipment. It is also possible to rinse your dog off here. There are even dog snacks for sale in the Brasserie.
The park is also well equipped for campers. Next to the large camping field is a large sanitary building with toilets and showers. There is also a launderette here. At the camper service station you can empty your waste water tank and your toilet tank.
Our rating: 7
Eating facilities at EuroParcs Ruinen
EuroParcs Ruinen has a beautifully and cozily decorated brasserie. The menu includes various dishes such as schnitzels, burgers and loaded fries. You can finish with a pastry or enjoy an ice cream. There is also a snack bar at EuroParcs Ruinen where you can go for a quick and easy bite. We didn't go to the Brasserie for dinner simply because some family members weren't fit enough.
Our rating: 7
Location of EuroParcs Ruinen
The location of EuroParcs Ruinen is one of the park's assets. The holiday park is located near the Dwingelderveld National Park. Dwingelderveld National Park is one of the most beautiful nature reserves in the Netherlands. This means that you have easy access to various walking and cycling routes during your stay. This makes the holiday park a good base for people who like to walk, cycle or enjoy nature.
EuroParcs Ruinen is located just outside the village of Ruinen. This cozy village has a lot to offer. For example, there is a nice spacious supermarket just a stone's throw from the holiday park. Next to the supermarket is ‘t Vershuus. Here you will find a large assortment of vegetables, fruit, cheese, tapas, eggs, dairy, juices, beer, wine and nuts, and of course everything from the region as much as possible. We got a gourmet package with super tasty meat here. There are also several restaurants in Ruinen.
Our rating: 8
Final conclusion of our review of EuroParcs Ruinen
What a wonderful place EuroParcs Ruinen is. We are very impressed with this holiday park. At EuroParcs Ruinen you feel like you are at a small-scale holiday park, but you have the advantages of a ‘large’ holiday park. EuroParcs Ruinen is certainly not a small-scale park, but because half of the holiday homes are on the other side of the road, you experience it that way. And we certainly think that is positive, you experience both peace and coziness.
In addition, EuroParcs Ruinen has quite a few facilities, such as a reasonably large indoor pool with slide and toddler pool, an outdoor and indoor playground, mini golf course and a large petting zoo. Moreover, the outdoor swimming pool Ruinen is a very nice addition if you are staying at the park during the warmer months.
The accommodations at EuroParcs Ruinen are only a few years old. The accommodations are located in well-maintained lanes and everything feels very cozy. You can taste that it used to be a campsite, you can feel this coziness everywhere. EuroParcs Ruinen is a good destination for everyone, both families with children and seniors. Nature is also close by, for example, National Park Dwingelderveld is a stone's throw from the holiday park. You can enjoy walking and cycling here.
Our stay in the Treehouse XXL was a very nice experience that we will not soon forget. We can definitely recommend the tree house, for young and old! But you will also have a great holiday in the other accommodations at EuroParcs Ruinen.
Final score: 7.5
The review points with figures about EuroParcs Ruinen in a row:
- General impression: 8
- Accommodations: 8
- Swimming pool: 7.5
- Child friendliness: 7
- Location / surroundings: 8
- Facilities: 7
- Dining: 7
- Total score of our review: 7.5
Useful links:
Some more photos of our holiday at EuroParcs Ruinen
