Your cycling holiday begins in Delft, forever associated with its delicate blue pottery. The glory years of 1650 to 1750 saw some 100 ceramics factories operating here. Scenic canals adorn the Old Town and you really feel you’ve gone back in time, as you wonder at age-old lopsided canal houses, cobblestones underfoot. Visit the Vermeer Centrum just off the main square for background on this well-loved painter (1632-1675) known for his tranquil domestic scenes.

After a hearty breakfast, off you go into the Green Heart, riding through open countryside dotted with small villages. Take in the fresh air, sunshine and light. What’s that on the horizon up ahead, Gouda? Yes, the delightful town famous for its cheese market and home to one of the Netherlands’ most important exports, Gouda cheese. Other popular products manufactured here include Dutch waffles (since the 1840’s), candles (1853-1980), clay pipes (17th-18th century) and colourful Gouda pottery (1920s and 30s). The stained-glass windows at St. John’s church provide another vivid note. If you plan to visit the cheese market, arrange to stay in Gouda on a Wednesday night and be there early Thursday morning. Just like in the olden days, dairy farmers and merchants settle each sale with a handshake. Other local delicacies can be sampled and purchased at the market too

Don't forget to visit the Cheese Experience Museum before you leave Gouda. The rustic surroundings of today's route may look natural, but many aspects of this ‘cultural landscape’ were actually man-made. Centuries ago, dikes and windmills drained soggy marshes to create pastures and farmed fields. Peat harvesting dates back to the 13th century here, a process that left deep holes in the landscape which later filled with water and threatened to flood the area. Some were therefore drained and turned into polder land, lying well below sea level. Other holes were left as lakes, a modern-day summertime attraction. This afternoon, glide into the picturesque town of Leiden. The country’s first university was founded here in 1575 and later became one of the most prominent in Europe. Breathe history in at the 1590 botanical garden and stretch your legs on an inner-city canal tour.

After taking your leave of lively Leiden, peace and quiet will reign once more in today’s typically Dutch scenery. Note all the orderly rectangles in this man-made polder landscape (mostly peatland reclamations). Let shining waterways and green pastures, old windmills and farmhouses pass you by whilst pedalling on to the famous city of Delft. The melancholy charm of historical Delft is breathtaking. Most will associate Delft with its blue and white hand-painted pottery: Delftware. But did you know that painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675) lived in Delft all his life? The Vermeer Centre gives illuminating insights into his life, works and city (no original paintings on show here).

After breakfast, your cycling holiday comes to an end and it is time to make your way home.