Nature and culture in and around Almere

Nature with all its water and greenery will be interspersed with unique cityscapes on this bicycle tour. You will ride through the neighborhood of Almere Haven to the Gooidijk. Here you can clearly see the characteristic difference in height on both sides of the road: between the water that stands high on one side and the low-lying houses on the other. Almere lies on three bodies of water, namely Lake Gooimeer, Lake IJmeer and Lake Markermeer. With the Gooimeer on one side and the Kromslootpark on the other, you arrive at the highway to Amsterdam, which you pass under. Along the IJmeer you ride to Almere Stad and then through the music district and the water district. When the houses are behind you, you cycle along the Oostvaarderdiep. This is where the ships of the VOC used to dock. Due to reclamation it became too shallow. You continue to the Oostvaardersplassen. This nature reserve was created after the reclamation of the polders. In the so-called dry area you can encounter large grazers such as cattle and horses. In the wet area many birds rest. The idea is that the animals live in the wild, but regularly there is discussion whether this is possible. After this beautiful nature reserve, you will ride through Almere for a bit more to arrive back at Het Groene Geheim. This bicycle route has given you a glimpse of the secrets of nature around Almere.