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Enjoy the full beauty of the Dutch water landscape

Cycling holiday Dutch water landscape

Name: Happy Cycling Holidays
Address: Hengelosestraat 300a, Enschede, Nederland, 7521 AN
Telephone: +31 (0)53 430 34 35
Location: Happy Cycling Holidays

These cycling tours take you through the water-rich western Netherlands, the green area between Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague, now a protected nature reserve. Besides all the chirping and croaking, it is still wonderfully peaceful. The silence is pleasantly interrupted by historic towns and villages. » read more about Cycling holiday Dutch water landscape

Utrecht, Weesp, Nieuwkoop, Gouda, Kinderdijk
Relaxed cycling through the Green Heart
De Haar Castle near Haarzuilens

GPS APP E-bike route Zwaarte zwaarte_1

Cycling holiday
Trekking tour
4 or 7 days
Individual

from 395 p.p.
excl. additional costs

Prices and dates

from 395 p.p.
excl. additional costs

Prices and dates

Delightfully Dutch

Just past De Haar Castle, you take a sharp turn. The wind pushes from behind, gradually picking up your pace. Now that’s a smooth ride. Rustling reeds along the canals, watchful herons, fresh green meadows, and bleating sheep – they all rush by in a blur. And before you know it, the Vecht river comes into view again – the romantically winding river where this journey began.

"Oh" and "Ah"

After the Vecht, with its tempting country houses, came Weesp, the Kromme Mijdrecht, and the lakes around Nieuwkoop. From there, you visited Leiden, pedaled on to Gouda, exclaimed "Oh" and "Ah" like a true tourist at the windmills of Kinderdijk, caught your reflection in Schoonhoven’s silver, stuffed an extra pack of stroopwafels into your bike bag in Gouda – and took it out again at De Haar Castle. One last moment to savor the beauty of this delightful Dutch water landscape.

Delightful Dutch water landscape

Tempting Country Houses

Feeling romantic? The Vecht welcomes you with open arms. Its stately country houses beckon every cyclist. Even their names awaken the poet in you: Vreeden Hoff, Queekhoven, Veglust, Rupelmonde... The beautiful river winds its way past ornamental gardens and park forests. Hop off your bike and wander through the quaint curiosity shops in Maarssen. The grand buildings along the water bear a striking resemblance to those in the capital. The names of the riverbanks – Herengracht, Schippersgracht – serve as a reminder that it was the people of Amsterdam who once built their extravagant country estates here.

Enchanting Light

“Air and light are magicians,” the Hague painter Hendrik Johannes Weissenbruch (1824–1903) once said. That’s why he often came here—to paint the beautiful skies. Cycling past the lakes around Noorden, you find yourself glancing up more often, admiring the Dutch clouds. But be careful on the narrow path that cuts straight through the water to the other side of the Zuideinderplas. At the end of the day, the water is smooth as glass, the reeds stand still, the lilies have closed once more. A nearly mystical atmosphere.

Hoogmade

Lovely Residence

Isn’t it wonderful when money is no object? Then you can afford a house with two hundred rooms, thirty bathrooms, and two vast parks. Well, when you’re married to a woman from the incredibly wealthy Rothschild family, letting money flow is easy. That’s exactly what Baron Etienne van Zuylen van Nyevelt did. He commissioned architect Pierre Cuypers in the late 19th century to rebuild the castle in the grand style of the past. And so it was done. The baron passed away in 1934. Later, his grandson Thierry inherited the castle. He was quite fond of parties. And his guests, like Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, and Maria Callas, felt the same way. After his death, it is now up to his daughters to preserve the lovely residence.

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Cycling holiday Dutch water landscape

Prices and dates

Routes

These cycling tours take you through the water-rich western Netherlands, the green area nestled between the major cities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and The Hague. This beautiful cultural landscape was created after centuries of peat extraction and land reclamation. The nature of this area is now highly valued and is therefore protected. It is, perhaps unexpectedly, still wonderfully peaceful. The calm and quiet are pleasantly interrupted by historic towns and villages.