The Historic Cities and Windmills of Holland

During the day arrive in Utrecht. Utrecht lies in the very centre of the Netherlands easily reached from Amsterdam airport and the ferry ports on the north coast. Utrecht is near woodland and the small River Kromme Rijn. The city centre of Utrecht is not far away from your accommodation and has shops galore, museums and friendly vibrant nightlife.

Your cycle tour begins today through Idyllic scenery as you cycle towards Amsterdam on the banks of the lovely River Vecht. Characteristic for this area are the many stately homes and summerhouses built by rich Amsterdam merchants in the 17th and 18th Centuries.

Your destination will be the capital city of Holland, Amsterdam. After an exciting bike tour, we arrive in the city of Amsterdam. Famous for the abundance of quiet waterways and canals that run through the city which are now a UNESCO World  Heritage site. Of course, you must make sure you go on one of the many canal tours. Amsterdam many museums and cultural highlights to explore. For example, the Royal Museum or the Van Gogh museum is ideal to visit.

Today the first part of the bike route takes us to Haarlem, famous for its picturesque small “hofjes”. These are actually gardens that were kept by the rich inhabitants in the 18th and 19th century. The aged widows would work in the growing food so they would not die of hunger. Also there you can visit the Frans Hals Museum, a former home for retired people, where you can find the renowned paintings of Frans Hals. Later the cycle tour continues along the “Keukenhof”, a wonderful garden, especially during the blooming tulip season. We shall soon arrive at Zandvoort where we shall stay overnight. Zandvoort is right on the seafront where you can enjoy the sand dunes and beach area.

Today you’ll cycle along the coast through the dune and bulb region. The windswept dunes not only protect the inland regions from the sea but also harbour many species of dune flora and fauna. April is your best bet for visiting colourful bulb fields (daffodils, hyacinths and tulips) just behind the dunes. On the coast, check out the resorts and beaches. Once you reach Scheveningen, you will be spoilt for choice of things to do. You shall pass Wassenaar is a very upmarket area where the Dutch Royal family has a house.  We make our way now to The Hague. This is a Governmental centre as well, but The Hague has more to offer with numerous museums and many canals. In the evening try and explore the old city centre and stroll along and admire the scenery beside the canals.

Today we are heading inland towards Rotterdam. First, we follow the River Schie towards Delft. Delft has a lovely historical town centre with beautiful buildings and canals. Inextricably linked to Delft are Delftware (blue and white pottery), the royal family Van Oranje-Nassau, and Johannes Vermeer, the painter. After a short visit continues on your way by bike, soon you shall reach the town of Schiedam, renowned for its gin (jenever). Here is where you can find out all about the history and production of this juniper berry flavoured liqueur. After a visit, you continue to Rotterdam. As the sun sets over Rotterdam’s modern skyline and Europe’s biggest port, why not go to trendy Oude Haven (The Old Harbour) for an evening out? From the top of the Euromast tower, you can enjoy great views of the city and surroundings.

Before your departure, today why not spend more time exploring modern Rotterdam which offers architecture, art, port tours, a maritime museum and shops galore. The re-developed inner-city harbours are hotspots. After your visit we continue on the cycle tour via “Kinderdijk”, now a UNESCO site with 19 beautiful windmills. This is one of the most typical sights of Holland!  Most of the windmills are lived on still but two of them you can visit and see how life was in the 18th century. Find out about their history and use, you might be surprised. It really is fascinating climbing to the top to see how the families used to live and sleep in these tiny windmills. After your visit, we continue onto Gouda obviously famous for its cheese production.

Much to admire on today’s longer cycle ride, of course in Holland the route is always flat!  Today you shall cycle through woods, passing stately homes, through parks and beside rivers.  You shall pass a number of larger lakes and marshlands, great for birdlife. You can opt to stop off at a cheese dairy or visit De Haar Castle. At the end of the day, explore the heart of the lively city of Utrecht. Discover the pretty Museum Quarter and admire the beautiful canal Oude Gracht. Its wharves are unique to Utrecht and make a pleasant setting for waterside cafes.

Depart after breakfast.