Golden Circle

Netherlands Bike + Boat Tour

The 17th century Golden Age

The Zuiderzee was undeniably the reason for Holland's highly prosperous Golden Age, when trading was at an all time high and brought extravagant riches. The accumulating wealth resulted in the construction of Amsterdam's many circling canals, which were created so that affluent merchants could build and show off their elaborate mansions. This tour will cycle around the former Zuiderzee (closed off by the Afsluitdijk in 1932). Along with Amsterdam, Hoorn also gained fame and prominence during the Golden Age, and still boasts a picturesque harbor as well as beautiful gables on its quaint houses. In Enkhuizen, the Zuiderzee Museum (built to resemble a Zuiderzee town) offers a historically accurate presentation of the life and work of Zuiderzee fishermen. From this cheerful little harbor town, your journey continues past canals to Giethoorn.

This small village is quite accurately nicknamed the Venice of the North. Everybody travels by boat, including the livestock. Also of note are the many thatched roofed houses and lavish gardens. In the old merchant town of Harderwijk, you will come across elaborate 18th century patrician houses. Time has had very little impact on the town of Spakenburg, where tradition is highly valued and the locals frequently dress up in the traditional Dutch costumes. Back in Amsterdam, you may wish to partake on an evening canal cruise. This intriguing capital city is also home to the famous Anne Frank House as well as some great museums, including the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum.

Where You’ll Stay

On the Standard Plus class ship, the Anna Antal

What’s Included

• 7 night accommodations on board ship
• Breakfast buffets, packed lunches, 3-course dinners
• Coffee & tea on board
• Tour guide
• 24-speed hybrid bicycle
• Route information
• Ferry fares en route

What’s Not Included

• Museum entrance fees
• Beverages (incl. alcohol), available on board

Tour Dates

• Saturdays on June 23, August 4 and 11, 2012.

Skill Level

Easy, guided tours with average daily distances of ± 28 miles on flat terrain and good asphalt roads & bike paths with little traffic.

Tour Boats

• Anna Antal

Day-To-Day Itinerary

1. Boarding in Amsterdam at 4 PM; optional cycling 13 mi (20 km).
2. Amsterdam - Hoorn, 33 mi (54 km), or sail to Volendam, Volendam - Hoorn, 17 mi (27 km).
3. Hoorn - Enkhuizen, 17 mi (27 km). Sail to Urk.
4. Sail to Genemuiden/Zwartsluis, roundtrip Weerribben-Wieden and Giethoorn, 28/38 mi (45/61 km).
5. Genemuiden/Zwartsluis - sail to Roggebotsluis - cycle to Harderwijk, 29 mi. (45 km)
6. Harderwijk - Bunschoten-Spakenburg, 17/29/37 mi (27/46/59 km).
7. Spakenburg - Amsterdam, 29/38 mi (47/60 km).
8. Disembark in Amsterdam at 10 AM.

*All distances are approximate. The above planned itinerary is subject to change due to changing wind and weather conditions and other unforeseen circumstances having to do with mooring requirements, etc.

SATURDAY: Amsterdam - Short afternoon round trip tour, 13 mi (20 km).
Boarding begins at 4 PM. When you arrive on board the boat you can put your baggage away in your cabin and then enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. It is also a good moment to become acquainted with the guide, skipper, crew, and of course your fellow passengers.
The bicycles are distributed and straight from the moorings of the boat you may have a short bike trip through quiet parts of town. If time permits, you can also bike outside the city.
Amsterdam first saw the light of day as a simple village at the mouth of the Amstel River but expanded rapidly with its famous rings of canals in the Golden Age (18th century). The palace on the Dam Square is sometimes called the 8th wonder of the world because it is built on 13,659 piles. Amsterdam, as we know it today, is, of course, famous for being able to cater to all tastes, including lovers of diamonds. In the evening you dine on board. During the meal, the plans for the rest of the week are discussed.

SUNDAY: Amsterdam - Hoorn, 33 mi (54 km), or sail to Volendam, Volendam - Hoorn, 17 mi (27 km).
You leave Amsterdam, still peaceful at this time. A ferry brings you to a similarly peaceful part of the city in the north, and quite soon you are cycling through the rural ‘Waterland’ region (in the province of Holland), after which you visit the former island of Marken. Marken was a real island until 1957, which has left it with its own special character. As the island flooded several times during the Zuiderzee period, the old houses were built on poles above the ground, putting them about 2.5 meters above street level.
Marken is strictly for pedestrian visitors as cars are prohibited on the island except for those belonging to the population itself. You cycle to Monnickendam, which enjoyed a flourishing wealthy period in the past, as you can see from the many old gables, plaques, churches and towers.
Then you ride over the dike of the Gouwzee to Volendam, today’s destination. Volendam was originally a small fishing village and was founded by the survivors of a capsized Spanish fleet.
If you opted for the short route, this is where you disembark. The trip continues via the North Holland polder landscape, allowing you the opportunity to see the town of Edam whose heyday was in the Golden Age. Finally you ride along the former sea dike to Hoorn. This town used to be a major seaport. There is a museum where you can have a look at the beautiful scale-model showing Hoorn as it was in 1650. You will have time to look around in the lovely center of town and around the port.

MONDAY: Hoorn - Enkhuizen, 17 mi (27 km), visiting the Zuiderzee Museum - sailing to Urk
Leave by bicycle to Enkhuizen. You ride partly along the dike with beautiful views, and partly through the long-drawn-out villages of De Streek with their lovely houses, farms and gardens, on your way to Enkhuizen, once one of the most important cities of the Dutch East India Company.
The city has many old gables. The center surrounding the old defense tower called Dromedaris ('dromedary'), still breathes the atmosphere of the famous old days. Enkhuizen is the home port of a part of the 'brown fleet', former freight sailing ships which now carry passengers. The Zuiderzeemuseum is located in Enkhuizen (approx. 150 original buildings which used to stand arouuund the entire former Zuiderzee have been brought together here). This open air museum will give you a good sense of the history of this area. There is so much to be seen that you can easily spend an entire day here! The ship-in-a-bottle museum is also quite interesting.
In the afternoon you sail to Urk. On one side, Urkers are connected to the mainland through reclaimed land, while the town’s harbor, once a seaport, borders a large freshwater lake called IJsselmeer. Urk’s fishermen now travel across the country to boats moored in other ports.

TUESDAY: Sail to Genemuiden/Zwartsluis, roundtrip Weerribben-Wieden and Giethoorn, 28/38 mi (45/61 km).
The Weerribben-Wieden area is unique in that it is the largest fresh-water wetland in the north - west of Europe. It is a peaceful oasis, a space for plants and animals to grow and for people to enjoy themselves. Reed is now the major product of these nature reserves, as you can see from the many houses with thatched roofs. The Wieden is an old peat area, whose lakes came into being because the turf was removed. You will ride through the famous village of Giethoorn, also known slightly ironically as the “Venice of the north”. Just as in other peat villages you will visit, goods and people were transported by boat, called “punts” here. The punt is a small flat boat driven by manpower, although these days an outboard motor can also be used. They are also used to transport cows. As you can well imagine, the bridges along these canals had to be constructed high above the water in order to allow the punters to pass through without a problem. Giethoorn was formed in 1280 by peat-cutters.
The long route will also take you to the Weerribben, a large national park dominated by water and reeds. The visitor center has a permanent exhibition about the area. In Giethoorn as well as in the Weerribben you can take a boat trip.
Back on ‘high ground’, pastureland with wooded banks and old farmhouses, you return via the old trading town of Blokzijl to Vollenhove.

WEDNESDAY: Genemuiden/Zwartsluis - sail to Roggebotsluis - cycle to Harderwijk,  29 mi. (45 km)
The boat drops you off in the Roggebotsluis lock. The route commences through the forests of the ‘new land’, polder country that came into being in 1957. You are riding at about 6 meters below sea level.
Back on the ‘old land’ you visit the 14th century fortified town of Elburg. Elburg was already quite a lively port in the 14th Century and which was – just like Harderwijk – a member of the Hanze guild (an organization of merchants originating from Northwestern Europe in the late Middle Ages). The map of Elburg reminds one of a chessboard surrounded by city walls and little canals.
After Elburg we will follow the old Zuiderzee shore for a long while. You will now be cycling along a so-called randmeer ('border lake') (Veluwemeer), because on the other side of the water you will see the new land (impoldered in 1957). When the weather is nice you will be able to swim and spend some time near the water here. The last part of the route will take you through the vast woods of the Veluwe, the area situated between this coastal area and the river IJssel in the east. There are numerous cycle paths in these woods. The Veluwe is the largest continuous nature reserve in the Netherlands, consisting almost entirely of sandy plains. The area was not very suitable for agriculture and cattle breeding.
If you prefer to cycle a shorter route, we would recommend you to sail on with us to Harderwijk so that you can cycle the Veluwe from there on. Harderwijk itself alsoffers a large number of sights. If you are traveling with children, you will want to take them to Six Flags (an amusement park)which can be reached by bus. In Harderwijk you will find a large park for Sea Animals which is so interesting and varied that you can easily spend several hours there.

THURSDAY: Harderwijk - Bunschoten-Spakenburg, 17/29/37 mi (27/46/59 km).
Today’s ride first takes you through woods and a peaceful farming area. Then you can choose to head for the final destination via Nijkerk and the old Zuiderzee dike, or continue riding through to Amersfoort. Narrow paths and roads will take you to Amersfoort. A clear cycle route has been marked both towards and in the city, so that you can easily arrive in the city center avoiding heavy traffic. Amersfoort is one of the oldest towns in The Netherlands and has had the privileges of a town since 1259. Much of its history has been preserved. You will find little canals with old gables, the 100 metres high Onze-Lieve-Vrouwetower, the St. Jorischurch, the famous city gate, the Koppelgate and many other attractions are part of an interesting city tour on foot. In Amersfoort there will be ample time for lunch and sightseeing.
In the afternoon the trip will continue along the Eem river, a small river flowing out in the Eem lake west of Spakenburg. In spite of the enormous population density of the province of Utrecht, you can still find green countryside here.
Following the dike you will enter Spakenburg from the west. Spakenburg has always been a fishermen's port. Bunschoten is some kind of twin village to Spakenburg. There are wonderful wooden fishing boats here, and you can also encounter inhabitants who still wear traditional costume. The 27-kilometer route follows the old Zuiderzee coast. If you like, you can sail the first bit and then ride via Nijkerk to Amersfoort.

FRIDAY: Spakenburg - Amsterdam, 29/38 mi (47/60 km).
Today the trip goes through peaceful polder landscape and a wooded area with stately houses to Naarden-Vesting, one of the best preserved fortified towns in The Netherlands. In Muiden you can visit the Muiderslot, a castle. Meandering roads along the rivers Vecht and Gaasp bring you to Amsterdam. A shorter route is also possible: after Muiden you go straight into the city following the Amsterdam-Rhine canal.
At around four o’clock you get back to the place you left on Sunday. The bikes are returned and you still have a few hours to visit Amsterdam.
In the 12th century Amsterdam was nothing more than a simple settlement at the mouth of the River Amstel as it flowed into the open sea. Fishermen and artisans made a dam where you can now see the National Monument and the place became known as Amstel-re-damme. Amsterdam was given municipal rights in 1375 and since then the city has grown continually. In the 17th and 18th century the Amsterdammers were reckoned to be the most prosperous people in Europe. The famous rings of canals were dug in the Golden Age by wealthy merchants so that they could build luxurious mansions reflecting their wealth and power. Within easy walking distance of the boat you can visit the canals with their house boats, the Jordaan with its pubs and picturesque shops, the Vondelpark with open air concerts, the Leidseplein, the Spiegelbuurt with its antique shops, and Museumplein with the Rijksmuseum (National Museum), Stedelijk Museum (Municipal Museum) and the Van Gogh Museum. Amsterdam too has its own hofjes and don’t miss the floating flower market.

SATURDAY: Amsterdam - Day of departure
Breakfast as usual, and departure by 10 AM.

Book This Trip

Questions? Call us! 877-965-2064 or e-mail us