Cycle through water-rich Holland along the sea – LF9 NAP Route
Bike Touring Collection by Sabina Knezevic - Farawayistan
7
days
2-5 h
/ day
294 mi
2,900 ft
2,875 ft
On these seven inspiring Tours, you cycle along the Dutch coast, or at least, what would have been the coast if we hadn’t so cleverly controlled our water. Without our dykes and dunes, our country would look very different. Almost half of the Netherlands lies below the NAP (Amsterdam Ordnance Datum). If you take a look at an elevation map, you can see a rough diagonal line from the village of Bad Nieuweschans to the city of Breda – everything to the west lies below sea level. This route traces this line for 470 kilometres (292 miles).
If you bring your tent, you can spend the night at campsites located very close to where the Tours finish. If you prefer to sleep in a bed, accommodation options are always nearby too. You cycle around 70 kilometres (43 miles) on average per day, but it’s also possible to shorten or lengthen the routes. Check for up-to-date route information before you leave, here (Dutch language only): nederlandfietsland.nl/lf-routes/actuele-info/lf9
As the route crosses nine Dutch provinces, the landscapes change a lot: from ancient forests and heathlands to valleys, streams, hidden fens and marshes. Every now and then, the route drops well below sea level, like in the province of Flevoland. Occasionally, there are some hillier sections, for example in Utrecht. You ride along bicycle-friendly roads, ranging from wide tarmac paths to narrow shell paths.
The route is signposted in both directions. In this Collection, you ride from north to south, but you can cycle it both ways. Following this watery route, you’ll spot the LF signs as well as NAP level markers. In the Netherlands, a water level marker is rarely more than a kilometre away almost everywhere.
The natural beauty here is gradually becoming wilder. Rivers are allowed to meander freely and the sand is left to drift. On the way, you also learn more about the rich history of the Netherlands. In the Hanseatic cities especially, you’ll be amazed by the fascinating stories. So grab your bike and experience first-hand how the Netherlands and water go hand in hand.
On The Map
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Last updated: March 11, 2023
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Tours & Highlights
- 05:1255.7 mi10.7 mph450 ft450 ftExpertExpert bike ride. Very good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
Wake up early today. With almost 90 kilometers you have a long drive ahead with a lot of beautiful highlights along the route. You reach the start of the tour by car or by train. From historic Bad Nieuweschans you cycle through the polders and through the village of Oudschans to Bellingwolde.
Bellingwolde…
- 02:4128.0 mi10.5 mph375 ft350 ftExpertExpert bike ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
On day two, you will leave the province of Groningen behind and continue the imaginary water line through Drenthe, which is well above NAP. Especially the north of Drenthe is wide and rich in water. In this province you will find the dolmens, heaths and particularly beautiful unspoiled nature.
After you…
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- 03:2235.3 mi10.5 mph475 ft525 ftExpertExpert bike ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
A large part of this Tour goes through the Drents-Friese Wold National Park, one of the largest nature reserves in the Netherlands. You have a fantastic view from the Bosbergtoren. This National Park, on the border of Southwest Drenthe and Southeast Friesland, comprises more than 6000 hectares of forest…
- 03:4941.3 mi10.8 mph350 ft350 ftFerryExpertExpert bike ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike. The Tour includes a crossing by ferry.
Today you cycle from Meppel in Drenthe to Elburg in Gelderland. Where the previous Tours were mainly dedicated to nature, today you often experience the rich city history of the Netherlands. But first you cycle through the green of the blue grasslands in the low moor area between Meppel and Hasselt…
- 03:5541.9 mi10.7 mph300 ft300 ftIntermediateIntermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels.
No NAP Collection is complete without a Tour in Flevoland, which we owe to the largest reclamation project of all time; the Zuiderzee project. The Zuiderzee was a constant threat to the surrounding areas and storm tides wiped out villages and towns and killed thousands of people.
The reclamation of Flevoland…
- 04:3649.4 mi10.8 mph575 ft575 ftFerryExpertExpert bike ride. Good fitness required. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike. The Tour includes a crossing by ferry.
Outside Amersfoort you quickly cycle into the So so-dunes, a gigantic "living" drifting sand area. This sandbox may look dry, but it houses a gigantic drinking water supply underground. In the dunes are gigantic Douglas firs of up to 50 meters high. The dead trees are inhabited by woodpeckers and we…
- 03:5641.9 mi10.6 mph375 ft375 ftFerryIntermediateIntermediate bike ride. Good fitness required. Mostly paved surfaces. Suitable for all skill levels. The Tour includes a crossing by ferry.
The first part from Woudrichem you cycle along the dammed Maas and after Rijswijk you exchange it for the river Alm. After Uitwijk, the Alm becomes a lot wider, at its widest as much as 40 meters! After Almkerk you also leave the Alm again and cross over land towards Dussen.
On the way you pass a clog…
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Collection Stats
- Tours7
- Distance294 mi
- Duration27:30 h
- Elevation2,900 ft2,875 ft
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