Bike Tour: Amsterdam – Maastricht - 8 days

Your bike holiday kicks off in Amsterdam, a favourite European capital city. With so many attractions and fun things to do at your fingertips, you couldn’t wish for a livelier start to your cycling holiday. Try to plan an early arrival so you have time to go for a walk through the city centre. You could easily spend a whole day taking in the characteristic canal houses and beautiful seventeenth-century canals (UNESCO status). Then check out your favourite view of the River Amstel. Do you have time and energy left? Venture into the oldest part of the city, around St. Nicolas’ Church, an area better known as the red-light district. Or enjoy the many street performers on Rembrandtplein.

Follow the River Amstel out of town and then cycle along the lovely River Vecht to Utrecht. Typical of this area are the many country estates and fancy country houses with garden tea rooms commissioned by wealthy Amsterdam merchants in the 17th and 18th centuries in order to flee the stench of the city in summertime.

What a beautiful day! In the morning, pedal through the woods at Driebergen. Then cross a riverine landscape cut by the Rhine, Meuse, Linge and Waal. Along the way, you will pass fortified towns such as Wijk bij Duurstede, Buren and Zaltbommel. At the end of the day wind down in the capital city of Brabant province, Den Bosch. A highlight of this lovely city is Noord-Brabant Museum with works by Van Gogh and Hieronymus Bosch.

Set off on a voyage of discovery through Brabant province. This rural landscape inspired the famous painter Van Gogh in his “dark period”. He was fascinated by farmers and the rhythm of their seasons. Special Van Gogh route signs show the way. Find out all about Van Gogh’s life and person when you visit Vincentre in Nuenen at the end of the day. 

Van Gogh painted a quarter of his oeuvre during the brief time he lived in Nuenen. Follow in his footsteps past places Van Gogh painted such as the church where his father preached, the house where the family lived and an ancient watermill.  Then continue through the Brabant countryside to Strabrecht Heath which turns a hazy purple in late July and into August.  Near De Peel National Park enter North Limburg province and make your way to Weert.

Enjoy the countryside of Northern Limburg, small-scale agriculture, interspersed with woodlets, ponds and lakes. Stop for coffee and apple pie in the village of Thorn where all the houses are painted white. Follow the Meuse upriver past Itteren and Borgharen. At the end of the day, cross the Meuse into Belgium and stay in Maaseik on the old market square, a prime spot for open-air winers and diners.

This wonderful last leg of the cycling tour follows the LF3 Maas Route on a southerly course atop the river dike. Pass gravel pits that have naturally filled with water to form lakes. Watch the architecture change as you approach the southern-most border of our country. The final destination of this holiday is the beautiful city of Maastricht where the living is good; and food and wine are celebrated by elegant locals with an innate sense of style. Historical buildings, trendy designer boutiques, grand squares and a busy nightlife: Maastricht is all this and more. 

From Maastricht, you can take a direct train back to Amsterdam in 2.5 hours (not included).