The Netherlands is one of the flagship destinations for bicycle tourism. No elevation differences to torture your calves, impeccable cycle routes that accumulate more than 32,000 km marked, often out of any car presence. Walking through the countryside, you go rather easily from one city to another, because the distances are unimportant. You can therefore organize trips in the country at will, or even undertake a full tour of this kingdom on your little queen. Below are some suggested routes.

Amsterdam, one of the world capitals of cycling

Four hundred kilometers of cycle paths crisscross Amsterdam, a city whose inhabitants use the bicycle a lot as a means of transport. This is one of its most famous features around the world, the other being its abundance of canals. The latter largely contribute to the charm of this fascinating city whose historic heart is almost reserved for cyclists and pedestrians.

You will be struck by the existence of an impressive car park with countless bicycles just outside the station – you will see the same thing in other cities in the Netherlands. It is one of these concrete measures which facilitate a mode of urban circulation which often struggles to find its place in other countries.

Riding a bicycle in Amsterdam does not present any difficulties. You just have to be careful to blend in with the flow and remember not to get your wheels caught in the tram tracks on certain streets.

If you do not have your own bicycle, know that many rental services exist in town and that they offer a wide choice of vehicles: Dutch bike of course, but also tandem or three-wheeler for example!

Organizers of guided bike tours of Amsterdam and its surroundings are not lacking either.

To see nearby: notably the Keukenhof park and its flower fields, or the city of Haarlem.

Cycling around the lake IJsselmeer

North of Amsterdam, the large lake IJsselmeer is a geographical curiosity. This stretch of fresh water was indeed a sea called Zuiderzee.

Protected by the Afsluitdijk dike, it is a water sports spot, while its banks lend themselves to strolls allowing the discovery of pretty fishing villages, mills, polders, or bird watching sites. A loop passing through Amsterdam invites you to go around.

South Holland and Zeeland by bike

South of Amsterdam, a 315 km long course plunges you into a very green region whose center is Gouda, where a famous cheese is produced. We obviously sell it in its beautiful historic heart.

You can make deviations in the west to go to The Hague or Rotterdam , or to the east towards the superb city of Utrecht and the Great Polders route, before continuing your route by Kinderdijk and its 19 registered mills on the UNESCO World Heritage list, then Dordrecht .

There another deviation is possible towards De Biesbosch national park (delta, bird watching, beaver watching).

Finally, you arrive in Zeeland, a group of islands and peninsulas rich in pretty old towns and seaside resorts.

There is also the Oosterschelde National Park (marsh, tidal flats, etc.) and the impressive storm and flood barrier of the Delta Plan which protects it.

In the footsteps of Van Gogh in Brabant

Accumulating 335 km, this route with its own traffic signs takes you through sites that have marked the painter Vincent Van Gogh, who was originally from North Brabant. A circuit specific to each stage is proposed to you.

In Zundert, his hometown, is Vincent Van GoghHuis, a house where the life and work of the artist are evoked and where temporary exhibitions are held dedicated to the creators he inspired.

We will then see where he learned to paint, in Tilburg (reconstruction of his classroom), then where he started to practice his art, at Etten-Leur (information center) and in Nuenen (Vincentre museum), as well as in their surroundings.

The walk ends at the Noordbrabants Museum in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, which presents works from the Brabant era by Van Gogh. Recall that this city, called in French Bois-le-Duc, is the one where lived another brilliant artist, Jheronimus Bosch.

And of course, be sure to treat yourself to a mega bonus by visiting the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

In Friesland, at the top of the Netherlands

We are here at the very north of the country, in a region which has polders, but also several lakes which we appreciate to go around in a beautiful nature.

During his walks, we gladly stop to visit ancient cities crossed by canals, such as Leeuwarden.

One of the region’s most popular treasures is the archipelago of the Texel, Vlieland, Terschelling, Ameland and Schiermonnikoog islands in the Dutch part of the Wadden Sea (listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List). On your bike, you access beaches, dunes, salt marshes, nature reserves …

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