Netherlands

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On a western edge of mainland Europe, this pristine trading country is as dotted with windmills and laced with canals as one would expect. But on the changing face of The Netherlands, the windmills are restaurants, the canal barges are tourist tanks, the tulips are growing in the wooden clogs and the tiles are on the wall.

With the landscape being as flat as the pancakes in its numerous pancake specialty restaurants, The Netherlands is a cyclists dream. So let’s start cycling shall we?

Start your tour in Amsterdam, but understand that The Netherlands isn’t just Amsterdam, and Amsterdam is not just coffee shops and red lights. Cycle your way to the newly refurbished Rijksmuseum, and while you are there, add the Van Gogh and Stedelijk Museums, and finish off with a visit to the Anne Frank House. Enough museums for one trip? Take a ride to Keukenhof, also known as “The Garden of Europe”, where tulips don’t just grow in wooden clogs.

Next, cycle down to Kinderdijk and see some good old fashioned windmills. Along the way you can stop over in The Hague and Delft. Further south you can admire the Oosterscheldekering, and understand why the Dutch say, “God created earth, but the Dutch created The Netherlands”. On your whistle-stop tour of the country try to see some of the outlying sights, like Maastricht in the deep south, Utrecht in the centre, or the string of islands in the north. And don’t forget to sample some genuine Dutch cuisine, like raw herring or alternatively French fries smothered in mayonnaise.

Make this little country your first hop stop onto continental Europe. And don’t waste too much time in the coffee shop while you are there. Grab yer bike and go explore!


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