Northern Route

This tour begins and ends in Amsterdam but will take you north to the distinctly rural Island of Texel after visits to the architectural jewels of Edam, Hoorn, Enkhuizen and Alkmaar, as well as the fascinating outdoor museum, Zaanse Schans. In the 17th century this extensive area was recovered from the sea with the use of hundreds of windmills – many still in working order today. You will get a strong sense of the 17th century Dutch prosperity in Enkhuizen, Hoorn and Volendam. Later, you’ll sail to Texel, an island with thousands of sheep and a magnificent nature preserve that makes it a bird lover’s paradise. Back on the mainland, the route will take you over small dikes and quiet country roads through vast polders and along beautiful sand dunes stretching from Schoorl to Bergen. Alkmaar is the capital of cheese making and has its own cheese market and historic Waag (weigh house). In the tulip months of April and May, you will also cycle through miles of colorful fields.

Highlights

• Cycling to the former island of Marken over a dike
• Wandering the harbors where the Dutch East India company once traded exotic goods
• Trying the unique cheese of the island Texel
• Feeling inspired in the artist’s village of Bergen
• Enjoying spectacular views from the country’s highest dunes