Cycle tour from Amsterdam to Bruges

Day 1: Arrival in Amsterdam

Your bike tour starts with a real highlight: Amsterdam! If possible, plan enough time, the sights of the port city are so numerous. You can spend a whole day just visiting the typical mansions and the magnificent canal belt from the 17th century (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The famous red light district and coffee shops attract millions of tourists every year. And there is much more to discover, the Dam with the National Monument and the Royal Palace and the Nieuwe Kerk (church), then the world famous van Gogh and Rembrandt museums. Need a break? Sit outside in a cozy café, for example on Rembrandtplein (square) and watch the hustle and bustle. If your time is limited, a stroll through the center is enough to get a first impression and soak up the atmosphere of this special city.

Overnight stay in Amsterdam

Day 2: Amsterdam - Gouda/Bodegraven, approx. 79 km

After getting to know Amsterdam, you will cycle to the "Green Heart" - a particularly cultural and historical landscape with rivers, extensive polders, lakes and wetlands. Today's destination is Gouda, famous for the cheese of the same name. A cosy, old-fashioned Dutch town with a particularly authentic town centre. Gouda is not only cheese, other well-known products from Gouda are tobacco pipes, candles and syrup waffles. Gouda also has a beautiful town hall and canals. The hotel is beautifully situated on the Gouwe River, just a few minutes from the historic centre.
You can also travel the last leg of this route by train. The distance is then only 56 km instead of the original 79 km.

Overnight in Gouda or Bodegraven

Day 3: Gouda/Bodegraven - Papendrecht/Dordrecht, approx. 38 km

You leave the world-famous cheese town and drive to the windmills of Kinderdijk - 19 charming windmills, built around 1740, stand here as part of an extensive water management systemems to prevent flooding. The sight is so typically Dutch! You drive to Papendrecht, 3 km north of Dordrecht, on the other side of the river. Dordrecht is Holland's oldest city. Many monumental buildings are lined up in the harbor district.

Overnight stay in Papendrecht or Dodrecht

Day 4: Papendrecht/Dordrecht – Willemsdaily, about 65 km

Nature lovers will get their money's worth today. The first part of the route leads along one of the largest nature reserves in the Netherlands: De Biesbosch. This national park is rich in rivers, streams, lakes and islands and is one of the few freshwater tidal areas in the world. The tour continues to Willemstad, a small, old fortified town on the Haringvliet.
Note: You can only drive the route through National Park De Biebosch on days when the small ferry 't Leeuweveerke is in operation, unfortunately not every day. There is an alternative route for days when the ferry is out of service.

Overnight stay in Willemstad

Day 5: Willemstad - Schuddebeurs, approx. 50 km

Today you will cross a mosaic-like landscape of polders, dunes and golden sandbanks. You can reach the island of Schouwen-Duiveland via a bridge over the “Grevelingermeer”. The island is known for its tranquility, spaciousness and rich nature and is also considered the jewel of the province of Zeeland. Tonight you stay in a charming hotel in Schuddebeurs, a small hamlet in a beautiful rural setting.

Overnight stay in Schuddebeurs

Day 6: Schuddebeurs - Vlissingen/Middelburg, approx. 43 km

Your day begins today with an impressive piece of architecture: you cross the Zeeland Bridge, at 5 km, once the longest bridge in Europe. The listed dead-straight prestressed concrete bridge has 50 pillars. The bridge takes you over the Oosterschelde to Noord-Beveland. Then cycle to the charming town of Veere (a Mecca for water sports enthusiasts) and on to Middelburg. Middelburg is the capital of the province of Zeeland and one of the oldest cities in the Netherlands. This is reflected in the many historic buildings that make the city so special. At the end of the day you arrive in Vlissingen, a seaside town par excellence.

Overnight stay in Vlissingen or Middelburg

Day 7: Vlissingen/Middelburg - Bruges, approx. 66 km

After a hearty breakfast in Vlissingen you cycle to the ferry and cross the Westerschelde. Then it's through Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, a landscape of narrow coastlines, dykes, polders, old streams and Spanish forts, remnants of the Dutch-Spanish defense lines. You pass villages on the border with Belgium and finally reach the historic fortified town of Sluis. Then it goes to Damme, a small, charming town on the romantic Damme Canal. Then you reach your destination, the enchanting city of Bruges, also known as the Venice of the North. The medieval town center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A city really worth seeing!

Overnight in Bruges

Day 8: Departure from Bruges

After breakfast departure on your own.