Discover Amsterdam's Lake IJssel and numerous Dutch highlights by bike. Numerous highlights are packed into this carefully planned cycling route through Amsterdam and the old fishing villages and trading towns situated around Lake IJssel, the closed-off freshwater lake in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland. As you pedal through classic Dutch landscapes, cycling below sea level at times, you will visit the star shaped fortified town of Naarden and "Amsterdam Castle" (Muiderslot), along with Edam, famous for its cheese, the fishing village of Volendam, the island of Marken and the historical towns of Enkhuizen and Hoorn which flourished during the Golden Ages with the VOC (United East India Company). Explore the lakes of Friesland and the Weerribben-Wieden National Park with their rich birdlife, take in the Hanseatic city of Kampen and the old fishing village of Harderwijk. If you plan to do just one cycle tour of Holland, this itinerary provides the quintessential Dutch experience.
