Travel report: Cycling tour around the IJsselmeer
From Radweg-Reisen employee Katrin
As the name suggests, the Netherlands is very flat. In the far south there are mountains that are over 300 meters high, but around the IJsselmeer it is flat. A cycle tour in this region is therefore easy - or so you might think. But the wind means that even a short stage on a bike can be very difficult. Katrin and Corinna set off on their cycle tour around the IJsselmeer to test how much the wind blows on the largest lake in the Netherlands.
Show more Show lessBy Katrin:
When we were allowed to choose a cycle tour from our program, our choice fell on the Cycle tour around the IJsselmeer, as we were expecting a mixture of water and hinterland. It is important not to underestimate the headwind on this tour - a distance of 40 to 50 km can feel a lot further than it sounds!
Show more Show lessWe decided not to start the tour from Huizen, as is usually the case, but from Amsterdam. This made the journey easier for us, as we were able to take the plane from Stuttgart directly to Amsterdam. But even if you start the tour in Huizen, the journey is quite straightforward, as there is a bus connection from Amsterdam. If you arrive by car, we recommend starting in Huizen, as parking is available at the arrival hotel. Before the first cycle tour, we had already thought about how exactly the junctions that mark the cycle paths in the Netherlands work. However, you can find your way around very quickly and easily and orientation along the way is not a problem. As a tip for other cyclists, we can say that it really is even easier if you make a note of the junctions every day and cycle from point to point. That way you don't have to constantly consult the maps at every junction. With the overview maps at about every second junction, you can also put together your own route. This is particularly helpful if you get lost.
Amsterdam
The Westcord Art Hotel in Amsterdam, where we start our bike tour, is located just outside the city center. However, you can reach the central station in 10 minutes by bus and can easily explore the city on foot from there. Alternatively, the city center can also be reached quite quickly by bike. However, you should bear in mind that there are more cyclists than cars in the city center and also a lot of pedestrians! If you don't know your way around that well, it can be quite stressful. Even if you park your bike somewhere, you should remember exactly where - at Amsterdam Central Station, for example, there are hundreds (if not thousands!) of bikes... So we prefer to use public transport here.
Amsterdam - Volendam, approx. 35 km
We took it easy on our first day of cycling, as it was only 35 km. This gave us a bit of time in the morning for sightseeing in Amsterdam.
On leaving Amsterdam, you pass the Passenger Cruise Terminal, where many river cruise ships dock. Today we cycled partly along the IJsselmeer and also through the hinterland and through small but beautiful villages.
We took our lunch break in Monnickendam and treated ourselves to a delicious cake and a hot chocolate in a small bakery.
Our hotel in Volendam was beautifully situated right on the promenade. We took a short walk with a view of the IJsselmeer and let the wind blow around our noses. You can't even see the opposite shore from the beautiful sandy beach. You get the impression of being on the open sea, even though the IJsselmeer is actually a lake.
Volendam - Enkhuizen, approx. 45 km
The second day of cycling was the best for us! Most of the time you cycle along the IJsselmeer, sometimes behind, sometimes on the dam with a view of the water and past windmills - just as we had imagined Holland and the IJsselmeer to be. Today, however, the headwind made the stage feel a lot longer than 45 km. Shortly after Volendam, we cycled through Edam and had already speculated on a cheese tasting beforehand. Unfortunately, we somehow missed the center, so we didn't get to taste the cheese. So we continued directly along the dyke. The next larger town is Hoorn, a nice little town. It's a good place to take a lunch break, as you're about halfway through the stage. There is a pedestrian zone and a lovely old market square with various cafés and restaurants. After Hoorn, the route continued through the countryside and along the IJsselmeer to Enkuizen.
Enkhhuizen - Lemmer, approx. 35 km + boat trip
On today's ferry trip from Enkhuizen to Stavoren, you have the choice of departing at 8.30 am, 12.30 pm or 4.30 pm in high season. So you have to think carefully about whether you want to spend more time in Enkhuizen or start earlier and therefore have more time for the cycle stage and Lemmer. We opted for the ferry at 8.30 a.m. so that we could continue cycling at our leisure. We were unlucky that it was quite stormy that day. Unfortunately, it was not a pleasant crossing for people who get seasick... To make matters worse, it started to rain in Stavoren and didn't stop any time soon. At some point, we took heart and set off in rain gear. At first we cycled behind the dyke again, then past farms and through the hinterland. Fortunately, the rain stopped as the day progressed. A short stretch then took us along a winding, narrow path through a small wood, where we enjoyed the fresh forest air.
Lemmer - Kampen, approx. 65 km
We had a lot of respect for this day beforehand: 65 km with as much headwind as the last few days? - That could be fun. But then we were pleasantly surprised and the stage flew by: there was hardly any wind and the consistently flat landscape made our progress even quicker. On this day, we also found out how easy it is to find the right route again if you miss a junction - just look on the next map, which you can find at many junctions for an overview, and make a note of a few others. And then you're back on the desired route. We covered the main part of the route today through farms and fields in the hinterland. After cycling about 50 km, we stopped for lunch in a small restaurant where we tried typical Dutch food: croquettes and bitterballen - a deep-fried potato and meat paste. It took some getting used to at first bite, but it was delicious! The most beautiful part of the route was in De Weerribben National Park along a canal and small villages with traditional houses. Towards the end of the stage, you have to take a small ferry across a river to the other side - but it's quick and only costs €1 per person with a bike.
Kampen - Harderwijk, approx. 45 km
Unfortunately, the day didn't start so well for us: as soon as we left Kampen, the cycle path was completely closed and we couldn't understand the detour. Thanks to the junction system, however, we were able to make up our own detour. However, this meant a detour of a good 10 kilometers. The route continued through meadows and fields with numerous cows, sheep, goats and horses and occasionally through small villages. Despite the detour, Harderwijk was quickly reached. It is a nice town with small stores and a few restaurants.
Our hotel was beautifully situated between the pedestrian zone and the beach. On a sunny day, you could have enjoyed the hotel terrace directly on the Wolderwijd (a lake/river) or ended the evening with a cocktail in the neighboring beach bar. Unfortunately, we were not so lucky with the weather and spent the evening in a cozy little restaurant.
Harderwijk - Huizen, approx. 45 km
Unfortunately, the weather didn't improve overnight. So we waited until the rain stopped before setting off in the morning. Unfortunately, the joy was short-lived, as the rain returned after just a few kilometers. The first part of the bike course ran between the river and the highway, which was not so nice. Then the route continued along the dyke with a strong headwind and then back through fields and meadows. One highlight along the way was Bunschoten-Spakenburg, a lovely little town. Shortly afterwards, we had to cross another river on a small ferry. Today, the headwind in combination with the rain really got to us and the route felt longer than it actually was.
Huizen - Amsterdam, approx. 45 km
For the last day of cycling, we had planned to cycle the route as quickly as possible so that we could spend enough time in Amsterdam. The plan went well and we made quick progress, arriving at our hotel in Amsterdam at around 1.00 pm. After a cool beer, we were able to go to our room and freshen up. In the afternoon, we went for a canal ride and enjoyed the sun, which was finally making an appearance again.
At the start of this stage, we cycled through a forest for quite a while, which was very relaxing and nice to cycle through. This was followed by smaller villages, past the Muiderslot moated castle, before we passed through the first foothills of Amsterdam. At some point, we reached the familiar route from the first day of cycling again and were quickly back at the central station and the hotel.
If you don't start your trip in Amsterdam, we would definitely recommend spending an extra night there. The city is well worth a visit and offers a variety of sights such as the Anne Frank House or the van Gogh Museum - you should plan a whole day for this.
Our conclusion
We recommend this tour to anyone who values relaxed cycling, scenery and a bit of culture. You cycle through many small villages on this trip and there is at least one museum in every town. The highlight for us was Amsterdam and we really enjoyed our time on the bike! We were very happy with the rental bikes. At first we wondered how it was possible to ride the so-called Holland bikes - but we were very happy with them and you sit upright and more comfortably than on a bike at home. The e-bike also ran well and was intuitive to use.
