One of many highlights of our month-long journey to Europe final 12 months was taking it gradual and attending to bike round Amsterdam, the biking capital of the world. The capital and largest metropolis of the Netherlands is well-known for its vibrant biking tradition. Biking isn’t simply merely a software for transportation, train, or leisure. It’s a lifestyle.
The truth is, there are extra bicycles than folks right here and this excellent biking metropolis boasts in depth bike infrastructure and prioritizes sustainable transportation. With a whole bunch of kilometers of motorcycle paths all through the town, bikes are virtually synonymous with Amsterdam. Previous Dutch bikes are featured prominently in all vacationer souvenirs, magnets and postcards.
With everybody biking in Amsterdam and bikes parked all over the place we seemed, we instantly felt at dwelling. Cyclists rule the highway they usually’re not afraid to let everybody know. They’ll ring their bike bells and practically run over pedestrians or slower cyclists who by accident block the bike lanes. Don’t get offended when you get yelled at by native bikers. It’s all a part of the biking tradition.
Biking in Rome was nice however biking in Amsterdam was an much more superb expertise, particularly in comparison with what it’s like biking in car-centric cities like Manila. Under are some journey suggestions for first-timers primarily based on our expertise biking there.
Many motels and outlets in Amsterdam lease out bikes for vacationers. Simply stroll across the Amsterdam Central Station and also you’re sure to come back throughout a rental place.
Most cost €10-€20 per day for the standard bike and provide baggage storage, so you possibly can stash your stuff whereas biking for the day. There are alternatives for shorter leases (e.g., 3 hours) and electrical bikes, which value extra. You can too guide bicycle excursions and different guided excursions on-line by way of Klook.
For comfort, we rented bikes from the lodge we have been staying in: Acutely aware Resort the Tire Station. This can be a boutique lodge in a quieter a part of the town, with the closest tram line a few 4-minute stroll away. From there, you possibly can switch to a practice line on to the airport.
The lodge has a number of different branches (together with within the Museum Quarter), however I booked this primarily as a result of they provided bikes for lease and are positioned close to Vondelpark, a sprawling city park. Acutely aware Resort affords a variety of bikes, together with these for youths, some with cargo seats, and common bikes beginning at €18 per day.
The rooms are fashionable and clear and the lodge employees have been all very pleasant and useful. They’ve a safe basement parking space the place they hold all of the bikes. They’re a cashless lodge, so convey a bank card for all of your transactions, together with bike leases.
The lodge had good WiFi and provided baggage storage, which you’ll avail of earlier than or after try. The room we stayed in didn’t include breakfast, however the lodge has a on the bottom ground and you may simply purchase meals and drinks from a deli 5 minutes away.
E-book stays at Acutely aware Resort The Tire Station by way of Agoda right here.
- Windmills
- Vollendam
- Monnickendam
- Canal cruises
- Heineken Brewery Expertise
- Pink Mild District
- Vondelpark
- Zaanse Chans
- Anne Frank Home
- Van Gogh Museum
There are many gorgeous bike routes in and round Amsterdam to select from. You may plan your route round a number of of Amsterdam’s scenic inexperienced areas, together with Vondelpark, Rembrandtpark, Sloterpark, Eendrachtspark, and Westerpark; you possibly can bike to windmillls; experience by a scenic forested park; bike to a fort; or bike to the seaside city of Zandvoort.
However even when you don’t plan out lengthy rides, merely biking in and across the nearest park or subsequent to canals can really feel so rewarding. The wonderful thing about exploring on two wheels is the liberty to discover numerous neighborhoods, cafes and eating places or head out of the town for a day on pure pedal energy.
After arriving from Brussels in Belgium, we spent a day exploring on foot and booked museum visits on the day of our flight, so we solely had one full day to bike round Amsterdam.
We ended up on an 80-kilometer experience to take a look at the enduring windmills of Zaanse Schans and crossed over to the coastal village of Marken and again the identical day. It was an extended experience, however the summer season season meant lengthy sunlight hours, with sundown at 10 pm, so we maximized the experience.
Zaanse Schans
Our first predominant vacation spot was Zaanse Schans, a historic neighborhood that has the look of an 18th/Nineteenth-century village. With picturesque windmills subsequent to canals, this Dutch countryside is the postcard-perfect epitome of the Netherlands. It’s the place you possibly can see old-style working windmills, go cheese tasting, have picnics and luxuriate in attractive pure surroundings.
Zaanse Schans is positioned within the North Holland area about 20 km from the town heart, however is a worthwhile vacation spot. Most vacationers go to right here by bus or automobile, nevertheless it was nice to journey to this iconic spot by bike. We plotted Zaanse Schans on Google Maps and adopted the bike lanes in direction of that vacation spot.
After breakfast and securing the leases, we obtained a little bit of a late begin round 10 am. Our bike route began from the central Amsterdam space following scenic bike lanes, a few of which handed fashionable windmills.
It was an easy route by the town earlier than crossing the IJ (a physique of water) by ferry. Whereas ready for the ferry to reach, we took images with the Kissing Couple statue by the River IJ. This towering sculpture, positioned alongside the bicycle route between Amsterdam and Zaandam depicts a larger-than-life couple in conventional blue and white Dutch Put on, about to kiss.
Crossing the IJ is free, fast, straightforward and handy. Ferries that depart behind Amsterdam Central Station shuttle pedestrians, cyclists and mopeds to locations throughout the water in Amsterdam Noord.
From there, we adopted the scenic bike paths to the city of Zaandam earlier than reaching the polders, tracts of lowland reclaimed from the ocean. Right here, vacationers can get pleasure from a style of rural life with a surprising view of the Dutch-style windmills and distinctive inexperienced picket homes.
From the town, it took us roughly 2 hours to cycle by the 20-km one-way route from Central Amsterdam to Zaanse Schans due to all of the photograph stops and determining the navigation. We obtained there round midday, in time for lunch.
The Zaanse Schans Park affords free entry to the grounds and vacationer outlets promoting cheese and several other eating places.
There are nature paths and viewpoints for climbing. There are additionally mannequin cottages and a Windmill Museum, which you’ll enter for added charges.
We opted for a picnic lunch, getting takeout from De Baleine, a stall that sells Dutch Savory snacks, pastries like Dutch Stroopwafel, espresso and chilly beers.
We tried the Dutch ‘Bitterballs’ with Zaanse mustard, Recent Fries with mayonnaise and ketchup, Anker Session Weizen from HOOP beer (an area craft beer brewery) and gentle ice cream for desert within the firm of some pleasant geese by the stream.
It was nonetheless early within the day, and it appeared like a disgrace to move again to the town, so at round 2 pm we determined to squeeze in one other vacation spot.
Marken
From Zaanse Schans, we determined to bike to Marken, a coastal village with a port and conventional homes. Whereas it seemed comparatively close to on the map, getting there and again to the town was an journey by rural countryside, tree-lined lanes, fields, and a few of the most scenic lanes I’ve ever skilled.
Located 27 km northeast of Amsterdam, this picturesque coastal village with lovely, brightly coloured conventional picket homes, is fairly quiet in comparison with different spots in central Amsterdam, which makes it a terrific vacation spot for cyclists. We solely encountered a handful of different cyclists alongside the identical route.
As soon as an island earlier than it was related with an extended raised roadway (with a totally bikable and secure bike lane), Marken is small and compact with lower than 2,000 residents. We obtained right here round 5-6 pm.
Marken lies throughout Volendam (which we had beforehand visited on a bundle tour to go to a clog and cheese manufacturing unit) and it’s doable to cross from one village to the opposite by boat. The setting appears to be like like a Hollywood movie set or theme park moderately than an actual village.
As soon as an vital fishing neighborhood, the principle sights are the standard colourful homes, well-kept gardens, cattle, the port, canals, bridges, and the church.
We noticed a Picket Shoe Steam Manufacturing unit with an working steam machine right here and several other memento outlets. It received’t take you lengthy to see all of the sights when you get there, however the lengthy route getting there makes it a terrific vacation spot for individuals who like gradual journey.
One of many predominant landmarks here’s a lighthouse on the very tip of the island, which we not went to as a result of we have been ravenous by the point we obtained there and wished to seize a chew to eat earlier than cafes closed.
There are a number of eating choices right here by the pier. Most spots have been already closed, however we discovered one restaurant nonetheless accepting friends, so we stopped for early dinner, ordering a hamburger and a surf & turf meal to energy up for the lengthy experience again to the town.
Whereas I loved the experience and the surroundings through the experience, I used to be anxious that we’d underestimated the space and the lengthy experience again to the lodge. From Marken, we nonetheless had one other 27 km experience forward again to Central Amsterdam. Fortunately, the attractive fields lined with wildflowers made the experience again dwelling value it.
It’s superb how well-connected the bike paths have been again to the town, and shortly sufficient we discovered ourselves surrounded by the acquainted canals and buzz of different common commuters going about their means. We stopped for a breather at Vondelpark, the massive city park spanning 47 hectares the place locals have been hanging out.
I can’t assist however be jealous of all of the vast open areas, parks and superb biking infrastructure that Dutch folks get pleasure from daily. It’s such a parallel universe from what we’ve got proper now in most of our cities within the Philippines. I hope that bikers in Metro Manila will get to expertise one thing remotely like this sooner or later.
What sucks is that our GPS gadgets ran out of juice, so we needed to change to a smartphone on the experience again. This could present a steady loop experience. If anybody is aware of the way to mix Strava information, please let me know.
It was summer season once we biked and the climate was nice with lengthy sunlight hours and funky temps at night time. We wore breathable biking put on and introduced windbreakers in case it obtained chilly, nevertheless it obtained too sizzling, so we didn’t use them. Water tumblers have been useful to avoid wasting prices. I want we had introduced extra snacks or power bars for the experience.
Helmets weren’t offered and will not be required to bike in Amsterdam. Deliver bike lights and blinkers for biking at night time. Most locations are well-lit although, so it’s probably not wanted. Deliver an influence financial institution since taking images/movies and navigation can drain telephones shortly.
- You’ll want to experience as a lot as doable while you’re there.
- Allot sufficient time for the rides you wish to do and plan your routes beforehand.
- Keep away from busy streets till what you’re doing. In case you’re not assured using but on the principle streets, apply biking in parks as an alternative.
- Attempt to get away from the town heart, particularly when you’re touring through the peak summer season months. It may be more difficult to bike with all of the folks on foot, vehicles and tour buses in crowded areas.
- Attempt to experience sooner alongside the bike lanes and don’t weave round a lot.
- Don’t randomly cease in the course of a motorcycle path and block the way in which to take images or test instructions. Go off to the aspect of the bike path. Most locals bike very quick and are in a rush, so randomly stopping may cause bike crashes.
- Use hand indicators to point when you’re turning or slowing down.
- Ensure you’re away from tram traces when you might want to flip, cease or decelerate.
- Let native & sooner bikers overtake you in the event that they wish to cross. At all times transfer to the aspect if somebody rings their bell behind you.
- In case you’re using in a gaggle, don’t bike all in a row and hog the entire lane. Bike single file behind one another.
- Benefit from the experience!
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