Lake IJssel and V.O.C.Tour - 7 dagen
DUTCH BIKETOURS - EMAIL: [email protected] - TELEPHONE +31 (0)24 3244712 - WWW.DUTCH-BIKETOURS.COM Lake IJssel and V.O.C.Tour 7 days, € 630
Introduction
Lake IJssel used to be a saltwater inlet of the North Sea called Zuiderzee. After yet another big flood in 1916 it was finally decided to build a dike across the mouth of the Zuiderzee, cutting it off from the North Sea. The Closure Dike was completed in 1932. Fresh water from the River IJssel replaced the salt water creating a lake. By 1968, the Dutch had transformed part of the lake into squares of usable land called polders. But most of the lake remained water, used mainly for recreational purposes. Many fishermen in the picturesque fishing villages of the Zuiderzee had to give up their profession and turned to the tourist trade.
Day to Day
Day 1 Arrival in Utrecht Arrival in Utrecht
Day 2 Utrecht - Amsterdam 62 km In the morning, the lively centre of the big city of Utrecht will draw you to its attractive canals and unique wharves, of which Oude Gracht is a prime example. Explore the pretty Museum Quarter or go (window) shopping on one of the quieter shopping streets. Then plunge into peaceful countryside. On the banks of the River Vecht, beautiful stately homes and garden pavilions built by rich
Amsterdam merchants in the 17th and 18th Centuries are reminders of the Golden Age. Follow the River Amstel into Amsterdam. Why not crown your day by roaming the prized canal district? In the evening, the bright white lights coming from the many windows of the tall narrow canal houses make for an enchanting scene.
Day 3 Amsterdam - Alkmaar 62 km Just north of Amsterdam, the Zaan is a region of great interest. On the banks of the River Zaan, you will discover the rich industrial heritage of many centuries. If you are into industrial architecture, you’re in luck! Seventeenth century Amsterdam was global leader in shipping and trade. The tiny Zaan region provided the industry to make it all possible - fuelled by wind power! Around six hundred industrial mills, sawmills for example, drove the economic growth. Millers, blacksmiths, weavers, carpenters, ship builders
and countless other craftsmen helped produce paint, cloth, sailcloth, paper, tobacco, candles, barrels, whale oil, etc. Find out more at Zaans Museum. Next door is Zaanse Schans, a collection of 17th and 18th century local architecture: adorable green wooden buildings, bridges and windmills. Tourists watch clog-, cheese- and tin-making demonstrations. Treat yourself to a pancake before you hop back onto your bike and head for Heiloo and the final destination Alkmaar.
Lake IJssel and V.O.C.Tour - 7 dagen
Day 4 Alkmaar - Enkhuizen 60 km Alkmaar is world famous for the traditional Friday morning cheese market put on for tourists from the beginning of April through to the beginning of September. On today’s coast-to-coast bike ride you will stop off at the picturesque village of Schermerhorn on the border of Schermer and Beemster polders. Schermerhorn was an island of whalers until, in the 17th century, private investors from Amsterdam decided to transform the lakes surrounding the village into polders and then sell off the new land. The polders were drained by windmills that scooped the water up over the dike into a discharge canal. Just outside the village stand three of the windmills that did this job – what a pretty picture they make! Opt to visit Schermer Museum Windmill and experience the workings and rhythmic creaking of the moving parts. “The Beemster Polder, dating from the early 17th century, is an exceptional example of
reclaimed land in the Netherlands. It has preserved intact its well-ordered landscape of fields, roads, canals, dykes and settlements, laid out in accordance with classical and Renaissance planning principles” is how the entry on the World Heritage List reads. On the shore of Lake IJsselmeer, you will see the Dutch Golden Age reflected in the historical buildings of the pretty towns of Hoorn and Enkhuizen. For a history lesson go to Zuiderzee Museum. It boasts a recreated village of old, complete with traditional craftsmen in folk costume. You can also learn about the trading routes sailed by seafaring villagers from the shores of the Zuiderzee: For centuries, dried fish and Edam cheese were exported all over Europe; grain from Poland was shipped to Italy; wine shipped back to Amsterdam etc.
Day 5 Enkhuizen - Harderwijk 61 km A 32-km dike will take you across the waters to the town of Lelystad in the Flevo Polder, the newest part of the Netherlands, reclaimed in 1968! Lelystad is named after the architect of the Zuiderzee Works, Cornelis Lely. The Zuiderzee Works started with the building of the great closure dam (1932) that cut off Zuiderzee sea from the North Sea. It turned a choppy sea into a harmless lake and put a stop to regular floods. Subsequently, polders were created in the lake because there was a great need for more farmland. Museum Nieuwland explains in detail why and how the Flevo Polder came to be and how it affected the people who used to live by the sea. Our bicycle route continues on the new land, through woods and cropfields, while we try to imagine how much fun spatial planners and urban planners must have had planning this whole place from scratch. At the end of the day you will reach Harderwijk. Once upon a time it was a bustling Hansa town and a thriving fishing port by the sea - but now it’s on a lake overlooking a polder!
Day 6 Harderwijk - Utrecht 61 km Set off along the shore of Randmeren lakes. In the afternoon the forest takes centre stage and harbours all kinds of surprises: a
famous pancake inn, castles, a royal palace and – for the adventurous among you – a forest rope-climbing experience.
Day 7 Return Home After breakfast in your hotel, you will return home.
Prices, Data, Booking
Starting dates: Daily from April 1 till September 24
Price pp € Double room, breakfast 630.00 Single room, breakfast 810.00 Dinner 195.00 Extra night, breakfast only 70.00 Extra night, breakfast only Amsterdam 75.00 Surcharge per person € Stay in Amsterdam on Saturday 20.00 Stay in Amsterdam from: 15/04/2022 - 17/04/2022 23/04/2022 - 24/04/2022 60.00 26/05/2022 - 28/05/2022 03/06/2022 - 05/06/2022 Rental bike € Child bike 60.00 Hybrid 72.00 E-bike 150.00 Extra services € Bike Breakdown pass € 3.00 x 6 18.00 Child seat € 5.00 x 6 30.00 Bike theft insurance € 3.00 x 6 18.00 E-bike theft insurance € 6.00 x 6 36.00 Extra luggage € 5.00 x 6 30.00 Tag-along bike € 6.00 x 6 36.00 Child trailer € 17.50 x 6 105.00 Bike helmet per piece 10.00 SGR per piece 5.00 GPS per piece 20.00 Starting point: Utrecht or Amsterdam Lake IJssel and V.O.C.Tour - 7 dagen
Practical Info
6 Nights included
3/4 Star Hotels
Breakfast included, Halfboard optional
Detailed roadbooks with maps and tourist information
The possibility of renting our bikes
7-days a week service-hotline
Luggage transport to your next hotel
CS Utrecht
Parking possibilities at the hotel
GPS-tracks availible
Any ferry crossings are not included
Arrival info
Nearest Airport is Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS)
The train from Schiphol to Utrecht leaves 4 times per hour. The journey time is approximately 30 minutes. A single ticket costs around € 10 per person (without bike).
For timetables and tickets, go to www.ns.nl/en. For more information on buses, how to reach the hotel, see: www.9292.nl/en.