Cycling routes in North Holland
North Holland
A varied province with busy urban centres, beautiful polder landscapes, dunes and lakes: all of these are features of North Holland, which makes it hard to choose when you set out to explore the region by bike.
Besides Amsterdam, the multicultural capital of the Netherlands, and Haarlem, its own provincial capital, North Holland has many other fascinating and notable towns and villages within its borders, whose rich history makes them well worth a visit. The Wadden island of Texel has a character all of its own and is an exceptionally beautiful area for cyclists too. To help you choose a good route, the province can be divided into four regions.
The Wadden island of Texel
Texel is reached by a short ferry crossing from Den Helder and has its own very distinctive features, with woodland, beautiful sandy beaches and habitats for more than a hundred species of birds, including the remarkable spoonbill and the short-eared owl. A special feature is De Slufter, an area on the north-west side of the island that lies open to the North Sea and is criss-crossed by countless creeks and channels. Texel has 140 km of cycle paths, including a fine route along the Wadden Sea.
The Kop van Noord-Holland and the Hollands Noorderkwartier
This is where you will find many historic towns such as Alkmaar, Hoorn, Volendam and Enkhuizen, with the well-known seaside resorts of Bergen, Schoorl, Egmond aan Zee and Castricum along the North Sea coast.
This watery area forms a beautiful backdrop for countless cycle routes, many of which take a small ferry to continue on their way. The dunes have a charm of their own, and combining them with stretches inland of the dykes makes for a very pleasant day in the saddle. Meadows, ditches, dykes and countless reed beds and peat lakes shape the landscape here.
Between Amsterdam and Zandvoort
The provincial capital Haarlem has a history that goes back a long way, with the Frans Hals Museum and its many hofjes, the historic almshouse courtyards, among its notable sights.
In the dunes between IJmuiden, Zandvoort and Bloemendaal, cycling is a pleasure, above all thanks to the constant views of the sea and a first taste of the bulb fields. Amsterdam, of course, has a story of its own. The capital is a fascinating voyage of discovery for every visitor, and its wealth of historic buildings and museums, as well as its city parks and squares, is excellent to explore by bike despite the crowds.
Het Gooi and the Loosdrecht and Vinkeveen lakes
In terms of landscape, Het Gooi is a unique area. Its highest point is the 36-metre Tafelberg, between the chic village of Blaricum and Huizen, while a spur of the Utrecht Hill Ridge and the flatter stretches along the rivers Eem and Vecht create a striking variety of landscapes and views. Deciduous and coniferous woodland, heath and grassland alternate here, and several areas are protected, such as the Naardermeer and the Goois Natuurreservaat. Other main towns are Hilversum, Naarden and Bussum. The region also offers picturesque routes along winding streams and past beautiful castles, including the famous Muiderslot. The Loosdrecht and Vinkeveen lakes, on the edge of the province, make the area an ideal combination for anyone out to relax and enjoy themselves.