Netherlands Bikeways
Classic bicycle routes of Holland.
Saturday, January 15, 2022
Flevodelia, part 3
Monday, May 24, 2021
Flevodelia, part 2
Just outside Dronten |
The tour of Flevoland continues. I had reached Dronten, the easternmost town in Flevopolder (that being the younger, southwestern component of this artificially constructed province). I struck further east, skirting the railroad, to reach the edge of the land mass, location of one of the quirkier works of land art that formed the basis of my tour. From there I jumped over to the adjacent province of Overijssel and had a tour of the ancient rural landscapes around Elburg before proceeding further east through a splendid riverine landscape to the town of Kampen. Now I was poised for the next leg of my journey, the remote Northeast Polder.
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
Flevodelia, part 1
Flevoland, the Netherlands' 12th and youngest province, is generally given short shrift in travel guidebooks, as it has few genuine "attractions" other than the former islands of Urk and Schokland, both of which were incorporated into the land mass that became the Noordoostpolder in the mid-20th century. But in fact the flat expanses of Flevoland harbor a unique set of nine "land art" installations that exploit the possibilities of the landscape as a medium, while some reflect on its history. I've already seen the Green Cathedral, now I wanted to see the others. They provided a perfect pretext to explore. So I worked out an itinerary where I could visit one or two per ride, then park my bike at the nearest train station. I started by cycling from Amsterdam to Almere, the province's westernmost city, with a couple of land art pieces within cycling distance, found another amidst the vast polderland, then two more near the town of Lelystad.
Sunday, March 21, 2021
All signs
Plans are afoot to install a new network of fast bikeways for commuters, primarily between cities and suburbs. A few pilot routes have already been installed: Eindhoven-Veldhoven in Noord-Brabant; Deventer-Apeldoorn; and Utrecht-De Bilt. To designate these special routes, a new signage element will be added: the letter 'F' (fast I guess) plus the number of the route in white lettering on a blue background. The website of the Fietsberaad shows what these look like.
Monday, March 8, 2021
Park & Ride, Part 2: Winterlude
Friday, February 12, 2021
Park & Ride, Part 1: The Great Waal
I've been getting into a new mode of touring, partly due to lockdown rules. Overnight stays with Vrienden op de Fiets are out. So instead of overnighting, I simply leave my bike at a train station at the endpoint of the day's tour. Then return another day to continue the tour. Parking is always available at stations, usually secure, often sheltered from the rain. I tried this approach along the North Sea coast last summer with great success, from Amsterdam going straight west to Zandvoort beach, then heading north in stages: Beverwijk, Castricum, Heiloo, Alkmaar, each station an easy 5-10km ride to a fabulous beach. Then I rode back along an alternate route with different beaches.