Bruges is known as the pearl of Flanders. It’s a truly enchanting town that has been welcoming tourists for about 150 years. With most of its medieval architecture intact, it remains exceptionally well preserved and can really give you a sense of times gone by when it was at the centre of the European wool and cloth trade. 

After a hearty breakfast, hit the tracks and pedal to the charming little town of Damme on the banks of the Damse Vaart. Then continue to the border and enter Zeeland, a Dutch province marked by light, wind, water and lots of space. It is mostly made up of islands so bridges and ferries will be taking you across the waters as you drift north east. Picture-book towns with ancient houses and cobbled streets are lined up for the coming days. But first you will pass through Zeelandic Flanders with its winding country roads, pollard willows, wet meadows and scattered villages. At the end of the day, hop on a ferry boat to the maritime town of Vlissingen. Cruising further north, you will discover the nostalgic splendour of the city of Middelburg, capital of Zeeland. In the 16th and 17th centuries it was one of the most important centres of trade in the Netherlands.  

Discover the charming village of Veere. From 1541 everything that was exported to Holland from Scotland (mainly wool) came ashore in and was distributed from Veere. This contract brought the town not only prosperity but also a very lively Scottish expat community that stayed for 300 years. Walk in their footsteps as you take a tour of the sights. A wander down the narrow streets of Zierikzee is an absolute delight. Quaint little old houses take you back in time to the town's glory days when ships set sail for the Baltic and Mediterranean to sell salt, wool, fish, grain and red dye. 

Enjoying your last day in Zeeland, traverse a patchwork landscape of vast polders, idyllic countryside, rolling dunes and golden sand flats. Round off the day in Willemstad, a fortified town shaped like a seven-point star. 

The result of a major flood in 1421, Biesbosch is one of the few remaining wetland habitats in Europe where the ecosystem has adapted both to saltwater coming in from the sea through tidal creeks, and to freshwater coming down in the rivers. It’s an ever-changing labyrinth of creeks and riverlets encompassing countless little islands of willow woods and reeds, a paradise for birds. Pedalling on, you will reach one of the oldest towns in Holland: Dordrecht, completely surrounded by water. The area around the marina is a true gem. This oldest part of town counts over a thousand historical buildings and three nostalgic canals.

Please note you will only cycle through de Biesbosch park on days that the ferry departs. This ferry does not go daily. If the ferry does not go you follow an alternative route. 

Hit the trail once again and set off for the village of Kinderdijk where nineteen majestic windmills present a unique spectacle. They were used to drain excess water out of the low-lying polder up into the River Lek. As you ride your bike towards Gouda, cruising at about two meters below sea level, enjoy pastoral countryside and wonderful cloudscapes. For centuries, people flocked from far and wide to buy horses, cows, meat, turf, seed, cheese etc, at weekly and annual markets in Gouda. We recommend a stroll around the old part of town to soak up the yesteryear atmosphere. Walk all the way around St. John’s church and the market square boasting a 15th-century town hall and a Weighing House (“Waag”).  

For availability reasons it's possible you will stay in Oudewater or Bodegraven instead of Gouda. 

Plunge into the “Groene Hart” (green heart), a pleasant rural area of low-lying polders with peat meadows and grazing cattle. It’s a flat, open, spacious landscape where church spires and windmills touch the horizon and clouds are reflected in lakes and canals. Your bicycle holiday ends in Amsterdam, famous for its gorgeous 400-year-old canal district. This city is brimming with things to see and do. As always, street artists and performers draw crowds on Dam, Leidseplein and Rembrandtplein. A new attraction is “Het Grachtenhuis” (Museum of the Canals). Have you been to the renovated Rijksmuseum and Maritime Museum?  

After breakfast your cycling holiday has come to an end.