🇳🇱Gelderland — Veluwe

Ede and Ginkel Heath

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Updated: July 16, 2026

The Ede and Ginkel Heath forms an extensive heathland on the western edge of the Veluwe, between Ede and Arnhem in Gelderland. The terrain is used by the Royal Netherlands Army for exercises and is historically known as a drop zone for airborne landings — in September 1944, during Operation Market Garden, thousands of paratroopers landed on the Ginkel Heath.

The area consists of open heathland, drift sand and scattered pine forest, gently rolling with elevations up to about fifty metres. The combination of wide, open terrain and limited landmarks makes it ideally suited to navigation and movement exercises, where MGRS coordinates are the standard for passing positions unambiguously. On this page you can see the MGRS zone, terrain features and an interactive map with 3D view of exactly this area.

On the map

Ede and Ginkel HeathOpen in MilMap
MILMAP

MilMap on this ground

On the open Ede and Ginkel Heath you use MilMap to lay out rally points, drop zones and reconnaissance routes in MGRS ahead of time, so every unit refers to the same coordinate. Landmarks are scarce on the wide heath — with the terrain layer and elevation profile you can still see the subtle ridges and hollows. The 3D flyover brings the rolling relief of the Veluwe edge into view in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Ede and Ginkel Heath?

The heathland lies on the western edge of the Veluwe in Gelderland, between Ede and Arnhem, and is used by the Royal Netherlands Army.

Which MGRS zone covers the Ginkel Heath?

The Ede and Ginkel Heath falls within UTM grid zone 31U. The exact MGRS coordinate of the centre point, computed from the location, is shown at the top of this page.

What is the historical significance of the Ginkel Heath?

In September 1944, during Operation Market Garden, thousands of Allied paratroopers landed on the Ginkel Heath, giving the area a strong airborne tradition to this day.