Adventourus Active Vacations

8 day Escorted tour

    His itinerary roughly follows the coastline of the former Zuiderzee, now called IJsselmeer. Lively harbour towns with lots of traditional sailing boats and a variety of landscapes are the ingredients of this remarkable tour. A 4 hour cruise takes you across the IJssel Lake to Hoorn. A short cycle tour gets you acquainted with this old Dutch harbour town surrounded by polder landscape, so typical for this region.

    After reaching Enkhuizen you embark for the crossing of the IJssel Lake to Friesland. Starting in Lemmer you pass lakes, waterways and canals before you arrive in Ossenzijl, situated in the heart of national reserve the Weerribben. Cycling through this unique marshland you reach Blokzijl or Vollenhove, two small towns formerly located at the Zuiderzee. Of course a visit to Giethoorn, Venice of the North, is part of the program.

    From Zwartsluis, a lively town situated on a crossing of waterways, a ferry takes you to the other side of the Zwarte Water ( Black Water). Cycling on top of the Kamper Zeedijk you reach the hanseatic town of Kampen. Passing the beautifully preserved fortified town of Elburg you cycle through moorlands and forestries before arriving in Harderwijk. Spakenburg is a traditional village, where you can still find people wearing their traditional costumes. The cycle trip takes you through the district of Blaricum to the walled town of Naarden, before reaching Amsterdam.

    After your embarkation in Amsterdam, your barge sails the river IJ  through the locks to the IJssel Lake. The sailing trip to Hoorn takes about 4 hours. In the evening we make a test ride on the bike in and around Hoorn.

    Today’s cycle trip leads through the Noord Holland scenery and shows villages with names like Nibbixwoud and Hoogkarspel. In Enkhuizen we embark and make the crossing to Lemmer in the province of Friesland. In the evening your guide invites you for a walk through this characteristic port.

Day 3: Friesland - Ossenzijl (40 km)

    The province of Friesland is well-known for its numerous lakes and other waterways. That’s why today you’ll be passing some canals and the lake called ‘Tjeukemeer’. Your cycle trip ends in the tiny village of Ossenzijl, on the edge of of national park the Weerribben. We would certainly recommend you pay a visit to the visitor’s centre of this nature reserve which is unique in Europe. Following the Kalenberger canal, today’s cycle trip ends in Blokzijl/Vollenhove.

    The barge stays in Blokzijl/Vollenhove and the cyclists peddle via Steenwijk to Giethoorn, called ‘the Venice of the North’. One of the possibilities here is renting a ‘punter’, the local boat, for a trip. After leaving Giethoorn, we’ll pass the lake Beulaker Wijde and through Dwarsgracht we return to Blokzijl/Vollenhove. As an alternative you could spend the day on your own and make a trip by canoe or by bike in the nature reserve the Weerribben.

    Today we’ll pass the lakes Belter Wijde and Schutsloter Wijde on our way to Zwartsluis. In this lively town, situated on a crossing of waterways, you’ll find it nice to sit down in one of the many cafe terraces. We’ll reach Genemuiden by ferry and cycle on top of the Kamper Zeedijk, an old dike, to hanseatic town of Kampen. The ship will be moored at the river IJssel.

    Our first stop, a ‘must see ’, is in the splendidly preserved fortified town Elburg. After having passed Nunspeet, we enter the moorlands of Elspeet and the forests around country estate ‘Huis te Leuvenum’. Finally we reach Harderwijk, a cosy port that is known for its dolphinarium.

    The barge takes you to Spakenburg. This former fishingvillage has a traditional harbour and is known for its traditional clothing still worn by lots of locals. Next we’ll pass villadom Blaricum and cross the wood and moorlands of the Tafelberg.

    Next, a short visit to 14th century Naarden-Vesting, a fortified town. Alongside the IJ-Lake and via Muiden you arrive back in Amsterdam. In the evening you may wish to join the guide for a walk though the centre or you may (on your own) go for a circle tour of the Amsterdam canals.

    After breakfast your cycling tour comes to an end and you may begin your journey home. We would also be more than happy to extend your stay in Europe.

PRICE & DETAILS

DEPARTURE DATES:

June 8th, 15th,  29th             July 6th, 13th, 27th               August 3th, 10th,  24th

- accommodation in a double cabin with private facilities and bunk style beds

- bedding and towels

- breakfast, packed lunch, and 3-course dinner each day

- tour guide

- Comfort style touring bicycle with handbrakes, gears, and pannier.

- bike insurance

- info pack and tour maps

- visit windmill & cheese farm

- Several City Walks

Logding

MS Holland 3***+: Aboard the well maintained ship HOLLAND the owner is succeeded in using the available space as optimal as possible. All cabins have private facilities.The chef will serve your meals in the spacious living. When the sun is shining a comfortable sit at the sundeck is the place to be. The crew guarantees your stay aboard will be unforgetable.

EASY: Paved cycle paths and quiet backstreets; very few hills, suitable for experienced and novice cyclists, as well as families.

The best flight options are into Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport and out of Paris. There are highspeed trains from the terminal to Central Station every 20 min, at a cost of approx. 8€, with the barge right beside the Central Station.