Day 1 Arrival in Amsterdam
Your cycling holiday begins in Amsterdam with its wonderful. The city is bursting with sights and activities, and you couldn’t ask for a more dynamic start to your trip. Arrive early so you have time to visit the elegant tree-lined canals, the tall, narrow townhouses and the 17th-century canal ring, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Day 2 Amsterdam – – Gouda/Oudewater 68 km
Dive from bustling Amsterdam into the tranquillity and quiet of the Groene Harta or Green Heart, a pleasant rural area with low-lying polders, peat meadows and grazing cattle. Take an evening stroll through the old town, immerse yourself in the atmosphere of bygone times and admire the attractive market square, the 15th century town hall and the Waagh.
Day 3 Gouda/Oudewater – Papendrecht / Dordrecht 38 km
From Gouda you cycle through the „Green Heart of Holland” to Kinderdijk, where 19 windmills have majestically defied time since 1740. These mills were formerly used to pump out excess water from the low-lying polders and channel it into the Lek River. A short distance of 3 km takes you to your hotel in Papendrecht, which is located on the north bank of the river just outside Dordrecht city center.
Day 4 Papendrecht/Dordrecht – Willemstad 65 km
The result of a major flood in 1421, Biesbosch is one of the few wetlands in Europe whose ecosystem has adapted to both the salt water that enters from the sea through tidal streams and the fresh water that flows through the rivers. This ever-changing labyrinth of streams and rivers includes countless small islands of willows and reeds, a paradise for birds. Drive along the edge of the national park and end your day in Willemstad, a fortified city shaped like a seven-pointed star.
Day 5 Willemstad– Zierikzee/Schuddebeurs 50 km
Today you reach Zeeland, a province characterized by light, wind, water and lots of space. Cross this region of islands, cross bridges and take ferries as you head towards Belgium. In the coming days, fairytale towns with old houses and cobbled streets await you as you traverse a varied landscape of sprawling polders, idyllic scenery, rolling dunes and golden sand flats.
Day 6 Zierikzee/Schuddebeurs -Middelburg / Vlissingen 43 km
Enjoy a stroll through the narrow streets of Zierikzee. The picturesque little houses take you back in time and remind you of the glory days when ships carrying salt, wool, fish, grain and red dye sailed all the way to the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean. Your route takes you further to charming Veere, which served as a transshipment point for Scottish wool as early as 1541. For 300 years, this trade brought prosperity and a vibrant expat community to the city. Follow in their footsteps as you tour local attractions. Further south you will discover the nostalgic splendor of Middelburg, the capital of Zeeland and one of the most important trading centers in the Netherlands in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Day 7 Middelburg/Vlissingen – Bruges 66 km
After a hearty breakfast, cycle on to Vlissingen and then take the ferry to Zeelandic Flanders with its winding country roads, pollarded pastures, damp meadows and scattered villages. After crossing the border into Belgium you will reach the charming little Damme on the banks of the romantic Damse Vaart. From here it is only a short distance to Bruges, known as the Pearl of Flanders!
Day 8 Departure
Your cycling holiday is over. Enjoy a hearty breakfast one last time, be sure to try the chocolate sprinkles! And then we go back home.
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