The Dutch and Their Bicycles
Discover the Netherlands like a local. Cycle through national parks, along river shores, climb the Dutch mountains, cross borders and see the heather in bloom.
I started writing this post on the first rest day of the Tour de France. Don’t worry, I won’t bother you with in-depth analyses of the first ten days or insights into race tactics1.
But it does relate to something I love to do (and watch), and it's what the Dutch are famous for: Cycling!
So, what’s up with the cycling?
It’s fun to see that visitors to the Netherlands are always amazed by the number of bicycles and riders on the streets. I think a decent percentage of photos taken by tourists are of bikes: those parked at bridges, selfies with a bike, the fun ones decorated with flowers, and the queues at traffic lights.
There are over 24.1 million bicycles in the Netherlands, and around 18 million people. That means every Dutch person (including babies, children and seniors) owns about 1.3 bikes2.
Of course, the e-bike is growing in popularity. It’s brilliant for commuting longer distances or for people who are less mobile. But I’m still puzzled when I see fit 15- to 60-year-olds riding them.
When did the Dutch start cycling? In the late 1860s, the first bicycles appeared in the Netherlands (those weird-looking ones with the extremely large front wheel). These were mainly used by the wealthy for leisure. It was not until the 1890s that the safety bicycle, with two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive, became widely available. Between 1890 and 1910, bicycle ownership increased rapidly. In the period from 1910 to 1930, the bicycle had become the dominant mode of transport in the Netherlands.
Dutch children typically learn to ride a bike when they are between three and five years old. Nowadays, it’s easier, thanks to the popularity of walking bikes (or balance bikes), which many start using around age two. You might expect this bike to be a Dutch invention, but it’s actually German. How gründlich!
The fact is, the landscape of the Netherlands is perfect for cycling, and the distances aren’t that huge. And it’s cheap.
Some extra bits:
Dutch people cycle an average of 1,065 km per person per year3.
Every year, an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 bikes are pulled out of canals across the Netherlands, especially in Amsterdam and Utrecht.
There is specific roadside assistance available for bikes.
The Netherlands has around 12,674 km of separate cycling paths and approximately 91,840 km of shared roads - in total, it would be 153,514 km of bike-friendly infrastructure.
You’ll find the world’s largest bicycle parking facility in Utrecht, near Central Station. It fits 12,500 bikes.
Cycling is a very popular hobby among pensioners. You’ll see them riding in groups all over the country, dressed in practical, often matching outfits, following the numbered ANWB routes.
The best cycling regions
I think I have cycled almost all over the Netherlands, and I have some favourite regions to visit. I do my regular rides around Amsterdam in all directions (depending on the wind!), but there is so much more to discover and everything is easy to reach4.
So, here is a list with regions. And sorry, no bulb fields and no North Sea beaches. They’re too obvious and too crowded anyway. All these areas are suitable for most kinds of bikes5 (al least the racing, gravel and touring ones), and some are also great for walking6.
Dutch Mountains
Haha, yes, we don’t have them.
However your best bet for proper hills would be in the southern part of Limburg7, the area where the Amstel Gold Race is held every year. With famous climbs like the Cauberg, the Eyserbosweg, and the Bemelerberg. In spring (especially around the AGR), it can be very crowded in the hills – compare it to cows finally being let out into the meadows after a long, dark winter.
In Drenthe, a former landfill has been turned into the VAM ‘mountain’. It has been used in recent National Cycling Championships and during the European Championships in 2023.
The area above Arnhem is hilly too, with some nice climbs in the Veluwezoom, such as the Posbank and the Lange Juffer. Between Nijmegen and Groesbeek, the landscape is also slightly sloping, with segments like the Zevenheuvelenweg (Seven Hills Road) and the Oude Holleweg.
In the province of Utrecht, there's also an interesting area for serious cycling: the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. During the first days of the Vuelta in 2022, the Amerongse Berg (or Alto Amerongen, as it was called back then) was even a categorised climb.
The Rivers
As a water-rich country, we have plenty of rivers.
From Rotterdam8, you can head north along the Rotte, and from Amsterdam, you could follow the Amstel southwards. I sometimes combine these cities and rivers and make it a one-way ride.
Also great is following the IJssel between Zwolle, Deventer and Zutphen – all three were part of the Hanseatic trade association.
Or bike along the Lek (a branch of the Rhine), crossing interesting places like Schoonhoven, Wijk bij Duurstede, Everdingen, and Culemborg.
Another beautiful river is the Vecht from Muiden to Utrecht. I especially like the parts between Weesp and Vreeland on the west bank (passing Nigtevecht), and between Vreeland and Breukelen on the east. At weekends, it can be busy with senior cyclists, so take your time to soak up the landscape.
The National Parks
The Veluwe is the largest national park in the Netherlands and offers both paved cycle paths and many off-road gravel opportunities. The Kroondomein area near Apeldoorn, part of the Veluwe, is closed between 15 September and 25 December (officially to "restore balance in the woods", though in practice it's also a hunting ground for the Royal Family).
The Veluwezoom near Arnhem (also part of the Veluwe) is beautiful in every season, even winter. Perfect for a gravel ride!
More east, you’ll find the Sallandse Heuvelrug. Between Holten, Nijverdal, and Hellendoorn lies a beautiful area with numerous cycle paths.
Further north, the Dwingelderveld National Park in Drenthe is suitable for all types of bikes.
One of my favourite areas for gravel riding (and not far from Amsterdam) is the Goois Natuurreservaat: a region around Hilversum containing several nature reserves with forests and heather fields. I like to combine it with the forests of Lage Vuursche and Hoge Vuursche.
Other Dutch Landscapes
I’d like to highlight Twente as a cycling region here. Yes, I’m biased – it’s where I’m from – but cycling there is beautiful. For example, around Ootmarsum or Oldenzaal. Or near Delden, where you’ll find Twickel Castle. You can also pass the now-closed Twente Airport (during the pandemic, it served as a parking lot for Lufthansa jets).
The Wadden Islands are very well suited to cycling, and on the smaller ones, it’s even the main form of transport. Renting a bike is easy – just after you arrive by ferry, you’ll find plenty of rental shops. It’s pretty quiet on the islands during the low season (end of October until end of March).
Noord-Holland is the area for typical Dutch ‘corniness’. It’s utterly flat but offers some lovely places to visit on a tour, such as De Rijp, Graft, Hoorn and Alkmaar. A bit closer to Amsterdam, you could do a ride to Durgerdam, Holysloot, and Broek in Waterland.
Crossing Borders
There’s cross-border cycling in many places. The most famous of all is the tripoint between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands on the Vaalserberg.
From the southern border, you can ride straight into Belgium. Sometimes you’ll encounter old-style border markers like I did in the Rucphen forest. In the east, the Netherlands borders Germany, so it’s easy to combine a ride in Twente or the Achterhoek with a quick visit to Germany.
Cycling in September
I think September is one of the best months for cycling. It almost beats those beautiful spring days when going short-short feels like a milestone after a wet, grey winter.
The standout feature is the heather in bloom in early September. Enjoy it in the Hoge Veluwe around Kootwijk, all around Hilversum, the Ermelose Heide, the Veluwezoom, or the Sallandse Heuvelrug.
The light on a September morning is mesmerising – I experienced it in the Ooijpolder near Nijmegen, but there are many other places where you can witness this phenomenon.
Useful resources
I use Komoot for creating cycling routes. Getting started with Komoot is free, but if you want to unlock multiple regions, you’ll need to purchase a one-time upgrade. I recommend the World Pack for this.
There is a lot of water in the Netherlands, so there are also many ferries. Some of those are really charming. You can find an overview here (the website is in Dutch).
Thirsty? Use this app to find drinking water spots.
Watch, read & listen
I enjoyed watching Chasing Cobbles: Mads Pedersen (available on Prime Video).
The documentary Silence of the Tides beautifully captures the relationship between humans and nature on the Wadden Islands. You can watch the trailer here.
Read How Amsterdam became the bicycle capital of the world on The Guardian. It’s a ten-year-old article, but still very relevant.
Marianne Vos is the GOAT of women’s cycling (although she doesn’t like the term - she just enjoys cycling). Check out her astonishing 257 wins.
It’s still the Tour de France, so here’s a list of the most popular songs from the Dutch radio programme covering the Tour:
Uitsmijter
Parking bicycles in Amsterdam was already a problem in 1958.
My count is three: a second-hand city bike, a racing bike, and a gravel bike.
Source: Mobiliteit in Cijfers Tweewielers 2024 - 2025 (in Dutch).
You can bring your bicycle on the train! It’s only allowed outside of rush hours (except in July and August), and you’ll need to buy a separate ticket. You’ll probably have to ask tourists travelling with ridiculously large suitcases (what are they carrying, anyway?) to remove them from the designated bike area. Find more info on the NS website.
I don’t own a mountain bike, so I don’t know much about the tracks, but I’ve stumbled upon some nice options in Lage Vuursche/Hoge Vuursche, the Sallandse Heuvelrug, Schoorl, the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, and of course, the Veluwe.
The best areas for walking (IMO) are: Veluwe including the Veluwezoom, Utrechtse Heuvelrug, Sallandse Heuvelrug, the Wadden Islands, Ooijpolder, Goois Natuurreservaat, Dwingelderveld, Delden in Twente, and there are also plenty options in Limburg.
More on Rotterdam in this post:
After spending four weeks cycling a large loop in the Netherlands, I have to agree with you! It’s cycling heaven!
As a new Dutchie, I’m loving the cycling culture here. I agree the Veluwe is tops for cycling. There’s also great cycling around Venlo. Groningen has lots of open spaces for cycling - and wind! A bit challenging on our non-electric bikes! Tot ziens!