Away from the windswept coast, this is a route to discover the “real Netherlands” – a winding course across the country from Den Haag to Utrecht, Arnhem and Enschede near the German border.

This is a route of forests, wildlife and – believe it or not – the occasional hill. Cycling through the Veluwezoom National Park, you may be surprised to see Highland cattle, pine martens, deer and wild boars. What you won’t see, a few towns aside, is traffic; the route takes an intentionally indirect course prioritising scenery and quiet lanes.

In the waterlands of the west, the route gently explores the courses of the Oude Rijn and Nederrijn, dotted with low bridges and narrow riverside paths past farmland. After Utrecht, the Langbroeker Wetering is unexpectedly full of ‘castles’, in reality historic houses rather than great fortifications. Along here the route shares its course with EuroVelo route 2, returning to the banks of the heavily-boated Nederrijn.

At 300km (190mi) this would make a leisurely week’s holiday, or a long weekend for the committed tourer. 

Comments

Ridden this route? Write a ride report and share your experience…