Zutphen, Netherlands - A light morning mist lies over green fields and empty roads meander through dense oak tree forests in the region of Achterhoek in eastern Netherlands.

Neatly kept farmsteads and castles nestled between the region's small villages set against a background of colourful trees are typical sights in Achterhoek.

For almost 30 years, people here have been celebrating a culinary event focusing on wild game which has managed to attract visitors from far and wide from mid-October to late December.

"We have fields, forests, game and our unique culinary festival," says Margreet van Zuiden-Meuris from the tourist office in the regional capital of Zutphen an der Ijssel.

About a dozen restaurants took part in the first festival 28 years ago. This year, 28 establishments will be catering to their guests' needs.

High class restaurants will be vying for customers along with small village guesthouses and stately homes.

The restaurants are spread across a wide area from Gorssel in the north to Winterswijk in the east and even across the German border to Tokamer-on the-Rhine near the frontier town of Emmerich.

"Boar, pheasant, hare, duck, pigeon and rabbit will all be on the menu during the festival," says Klaas Bakker, who owns the restaurant "Wild eten in de Achterhoek" in Vorden.

"Thanks to its oak, beech and pine tree forests, Achterhoek has a wide variety of game," he says. "It was only natural progression to put game on the menu in autumn."

Several thousand guests travel to Achterhoek every year to enjoy the game specialities on offer. Most of them are Dutch families from Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam.

Along with game, the region's chefs also serve locally produced side dishes. "Brussels sprouts, beetroot and apple, sauerkraut and green cabbage all come from Achterhoek's fields," says Bakker.

Using as much local produce as possible is one of the festival's central points. "Unfortunately we don't have the wine to go along with the meals," says Bakker.

The festival is also the moment when the region's chefs get an opportunity to be more creative than usual.

The chef at the "Villa Ruimzicht" restaurant in Doetinchem is planning classical dishes like roast saddle of hare along with more adventurous creations such as pate or ragout.

"It's a lot of work but it would be a pity just to serve saddle of hare alone."

After enjoying the region's culinary delights, many guests opt to hop on a bike and explore.

One cycle route takes visitors 26 kilometres along a path that passes eight castles and stately homes - one of the most beautiful stretches of road in Achterhoek.

If you prefer to walk, there's also a trekking path called the Varselroute that wanders through oak tree woods between the towns of Hengelo and Ruurlo.

Internet: www.vvvachterhoek.nl, www.wildetenindeachterhoek.nl. (in Dutch and German only)