|
Day 1: Arrival in Bunnik
Bunnik can be reached by train from Amsterdam Airport. Free parking at the hotel.
Day 2: Bunnik – Harderwijk
Hidden away in the woods, hamlet Lage Vuursche will surprise you with a famous pancake inn and Queen Beatrix’ castle Drakensteyn, where she’ll return when she retires. Next stop is her parents’ palace. Along the shores of Randmeren lakes you’ll reach Harderwijk which used be a prosperous port but is now no longer by the sea... find out what happened!
Day 3: Harderwijk – Enkhuizen
Cycle through the woods and farmland of Flevopolder to Lelystad. In Nieuwland Museum you can see an exhibition on how the polder came to be. Cross Lake IJsselmeer to Enkhuizen atop a 30 km dike! You will see our Golden Age reflected in the historical buildings of pretty Enkhuizen. Don’t miss the excellent Zuiderzee Museum! There is an exhibition about the days when trading ships from towns on the Zuiderzee sailed the seven seas. Moreover, in the park you can visit a recreated Zuiderzee village of old.
Day 4: Enkhuizen – Heiloo
After looking around pretty Hoorn, which also made its fortune trading in the Golden Age, you will set off on today’s coast-to-coast bike route from Lake IJsselmeer to the North Sea. You will pass by Holland’s oldest polder, Beemster, drained by windmills in 1612(!). You can also visit an interesting "museum windmill” as well as "cheese town Alkmaar. The traditional cheese market is on Friday mornings.
Day 5: Heiloo – Zandvoort
The sandy beaches of the North Sea are backed by dune systems that safeguard the hinterland from the sea. Today you will cycle through a Dune Reserve and a National Park that protect the many species of dune flora and fauna. Cross the North Sea Canal by ferry and then set course for Zandvoort, a well-known seaside resort.
Day 6: Zandvoort – Scheveningen
This stretch of the cycle tour takes you through sandy dunes and past multicoloured bulb fields (daffodils, hyacinths and tulips). On the coast, check out the resorts and beaches which each attract their own crowd.
Day 7: Scheveningen – Rotterdam
Cycle south, along the coast through dunes and past seaside resorts. Then pedal east along the New Waterway ship canal, past fishing villages, windmills and jenever distilleries, to Rotterdam. Alternative Route via Delft Delft is a university town on the River Schie, between The Hague and Rotterdam. Go for a lovely walk on the cobbled streets of the old town centre and enjoy the cute crooked houses and pretty canals and bridges. Delft Blue ceramics factories are open to the public. The Vermeer Walk and the Vermeercentrum are dedicated to baroque painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) who lived in Delft all his life. The Nieuwe Kerk church has been the last resting place for our royals since 1584. Chocoholics, check out Chocolaterie De Lelie!
Day 8: Rotterdam – Dordrecht
Modern Rotterdam offers architecture, art, port tours, a maritime museum and shops galore. The re-developed inner-city harbours are hotspots. Your destination, Dordrecht, is one of Holland’s oldest towns. It’s completely surrounded by rivers. Beautiful bridges take you across the water into the heart of town. The harbour area is especially picturesque.
Day 9: Dordrecht – Gorinchem
The island of Dordrecht borders on National Park De Biesbosch, one of the few remaining freshwater tidal areas in Europe. Today you will ride your bike through polders, past mills, pollard willows, lush meadows grazed by cattle, farms, pretty villages, historical towns and wide rivers.
Day 10: Gorinchem – Bunnik
Gorinchem’s walled town centre has a long, turbulent history and over two hundred monuments to remember it by. It used to be big in fishery, markets and trade, but was often plagued by floods and conquerors (the town was the gateway to Holland). In the heart of the city of Utrecht lies the peaceful Oude Gracht (= Old Canal). Its characteristic wharves are unique to Utrecht. Nowadays they are the pleasant setting for waterside cafes and restaurants. Explore the Museum Quarter and go (window) shopping on some of the quieter shopping streets.
|
Day 11: Return Home
After breakfast in your hotel, you will return home.
|
|
Included are:
-
10 nights’ accommodation in *** or **** hotels
-
Breakfast (buffet)
-
Evening dinner (min. 3 courses), if you book Half Board
-
Luggage transport to your next hotel
-
Detailed route descriptions and maps
-
Tourist information on all the places of interest
-
Saddlebags for carrying things you need on the road
-
Seven days a week service-hotline
-
The possibility of renting our bikes and trailers (at extra cost)
-
We adapt the bike to suit your wishes
|
