The Veluwe is a large wooded area in the centre of the Netherlands. Large parts are relatively wild. Game and birds abound. Traditionally, these were poor soils, barren and open, used for sheep grazing. In the 19th century forestation started. Nowadays it's a mixture of heathland, dunes, and a variety of forests. The southern edge of the area has rich soils: boulder clay deposits from the ice age.