Holland by bike, along the Ijssel and Giethoorn
Enjoy an exceptional cycling holiday in the Netherlands exploring the IJsselmeer lake from Giethoorn. Your journey takes you through the historic towns of Muiden, Amsterdam, Volendam, Hindeloopen, Kampen and Harderwijk and you will pass through numerous nature reserves.
Points of interest:
- National parks
- Natural reserves
- Volendam, Enkhuizen, Stavoren, Lemmer, Giethoorn, Nunspeet, Amsterdam
- Boat trip on the IJsselmeer Enkhuizen in Stavoren
- Authentic fishing villages.
Day 1: Arrival in Huizen
Whether you prefer to explore the surrounding nature or take a trip to Amsterdam, Huizen is the place to be. This small town on the border of the provinces of North Brabant and Utrecht borders a large lake.
Huizen has a rich heritage as a fishing village. Its name, which means "houses" in Dutch, comes from the fact that it was the first municipality to build stone houses. Like most towns in the Gooi, Huizen became gentrified with the arrival of wealthy Amstellodeners who came to build mansions here after the Second World War.
Day 2: Huizen to Volendam - 45 km
On the first day of cycling, you will ride along the wooded banks of the Gooi river and pass by Naarden and Muiden and the medieval castle of Muiderslot. You will then cycle to Amsterdam, where you will pass through the city center and cross the IJ river by ferry. Just outside Amsterdam you will reach Waterland, with its bird meadows, ferries and old waterways. In the island village of Marken, time seems to stand still. By boat or via Monnickendam, you will reach Volendam or Katwoude.
Day 3 Volendam/Katwoude to Enkhuizen 51 or 54 km
The next day you cycle along the old Zuiderzee dike, passing the cheese town of Edam and the atmospheric town of Hoorn. You will see beautiful buildings from the golden age. In Enkhuizen, where you will spend the night, you can walk through the town and visit the Zuiderzee museum.
Day 4: Enkhuizen to Oudemirdum/Lemmer 16 or 31 km + possibility to go to Hindeloopen 25 km.
The next day, you cross the IJsselmeer by boat to the Frisian town of Stavoren. Here you can make a nice round trip to the picturesque harbor town of Hindeloopen. You will then cross the hilly Gaasterland to Oudemirdum. Your hotel is located here or in the harbor town of Lemmer.
Day 5: Oudemirdum/Lemmer to Giethoorn 63 or 42 km
After an overnight stay in Friesland, you cycle past the steam pumping station of Lemmer and then through the beautiful nature reserve of Weerribben. Your hotel is in Giethoorn, the "Venice of the North" with its arched bridges, boats and thatched farms.
Day 6: Giethoorn to Nunspeet 63 or 67 km
From Giethoorn, you travel to Kampen, an old Hanseatic city on the river IJssel. Passing through the beautiful walled town of Elburg and along the Randmeren, you continue to Nunspeet. Nunspeet is one of the oldest Dutch tourist villages, situated between the woods of the Veluwe and the waters of the former Zuiderzee.
Day 7: Nunspeet to Huizen 61 km and departure
On the last day, you will cycle to Harderwijk, a fortified town on the Zuiderzee. You will then cycle along the narrow lake to the old fishing village of Spakenburg, which still has a large fleet of boats. You will return to Huizen via the wide Eem Polder.
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