This time too, our explorer Nynke set off on a trip in her home country. With her hometown of Breda, there are plenty of beautiful routes to explore. This time she went cycling in the Biesbosch. A nature reserve that many may underestimate, but after reading this article, you too will want to jump on the bike right away. For the real endurance riders and KOM/QOM enthusiasts. Choose a different route, because this one is more for the enthusiasts. So check out this amazing adventure of Nynke (and Thomas). Want to read more about Nynke? Check. then her other articles here: Achterhoeks Gravel and Utrecht unpaved.
Cycling in the Biesbosch
National Park De Biesbosch It is a beautiful natural area on the border between South Holland and Brabant. Many people will think of the beavers as the first thing they see when they think of this National Park, but the area is much more than that. It is a maze of rivers, islands, and other waterways. And we have good news for you: thanks to the ponts, you can cycle across and around the Biesbosch. A unique cycling trip across and along the water with willows forests and thousands of birds.
The beaver
Back to the beavers, the pride of this protected nature area. After more than one hundred and fifty years of absence, the beavers were reintroduced to the Biesbosch in 1988. And that was a success! There are now hundreds of beavers living in this National Park. You won’t spot them on a bike ride, because they only come out when it starts to rain.
Birdy rich
What cannot be overlooked during a bike tour are the thousands of (water) birds that live in this area. On a beautiful spring day, you can hear them chirping happily and they are busy at work. The Biesbosch is the largest freshwater tidal area in Europe, which means there is both ebb and flood. This makes it a sought-after breeding ground for many water birds.
By ferry across the Mark to Terheijden
It’s a fantastic spring day when we take to the bike in Breda: it’s clear blue and warm. We don’t need to worry about clothes; it’s going to be short-short anyway. Great! We leave from Breda-West and cycle through the northwest of Breda towards the village of Terheijden. There we are immediately surprised. After only ten kilometers on our odometer, we find that we have to cross the river Mark with a ferry. The first crossing is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., and we don’t arrive until 10:40 a.m.
So we learned the first lesson of the day right away: check the timetables of the ferries before departure to avoid having to wait. Fortunately, it’s lovely weather and before we know it, a very cute square boat arrives. For one euro per person, we can get on board from a friendly man. We cross the Mark, passing by a number of boats and then arrive at the harbor of Terheijden. A nice little trip of a few minutes.
View of the Biesbosch from the Hollandsch Diep
We cycle through various villages and fields in West Brabant towards Drimmelen. Unfortunately, we skip this nice village with its marina; however, if you would like to go a little further, this is highly recommended. From Drimmelen to the Moerdijk Bridge there is a cycle path over a dyke that is a favorite with many cyclists: there are no stoplights here and you have a wide view of Brabant on one side and of the Hollandsche Diep and the Biesbosch on the other side. Sheep are grazing on and beside the cycle path, and boats are passing by.
Climbing over the Moerdijk Bridge
Although the Moerdijk Bridge is far from an idyllic place – cars tearing by you at 100 kilometers per hour – it’s still fun to cycle across it. We climb up and can see miles and miles in every direction. Then we descend to the Island of Dordrecht. This city is connected to the mainland by bridges, and that’s why many people don’t know that Dordrecht is on an island. But the city is surrounded by rivers; it’s even in the busiest river area in Europe. You’ll also find the Dordtse and Sliedrechtse Biesbosch here, and that’s where we’re headed!
Racing through the Dordtse polders
The polders south of Dordrecht are ideal for a leisurely ride; the roads are wide and there is almost no traffic. We soon join a group of cyclists here, whom we overtake shortly afterwards. But being overtaken by a ‘guest on a mountain bike’ and a lady, they cannot accept it. And so the kilometers fly by during this cat-and-mouse game. Soon the polder roads turn into narrow bike paths and the bushes into reeds; we come close to the Dordtse Biesbosch.
Bridge near Kop van het Land
We continue cycling along narrow paths through reeds and over dykes. Then we pass by a cozy farm with a tea garden. A perfect spot for a delicious lunch, we think. Unfortunately, it’s not possible here to safely store our bike, so we cycle a little further. Near the ferry at Kop van het Land we find Home café FluitekruidThe small terrace, which more closely resembles someone’s front yard, is full of cyclists and looks cozy. Don’t expect a fancy lunch here, but rather a delicious cup of homemade soup or a piece of apple pie. And on a day like today when it’s so warm, a bit of salt is extremely welcome. After that, we take the ferry and it’s time to really immerse ourselves in the Biesbosch.
Museum
Once in the Biesbosch, we turn right towards the Biesbosch Museum. We cycle for kilometers along the water, with breeding birds and through polders. A wonderful place because there are hardly any cars here and the roads are wide. Suddenly we turn left onto a narrow winding path. There is actually another ferry waiting for us. The reeds, the boats, and the nature even make us think of Friesland.
Back home
And then it’s time to leave the Biesbosch behind us. We cross the Bergsche Maas via the Keizersveerbrug (A27) and cycle to Geertruidenberg. This ‘fortified city on the Biesbosch’ has a nice historical center and a ice cream parlor. Not unimportant. The Amercentrale on the edge of the village is not to be missed and stands in contrast to the history and nature. After the ice cream we feel like going home and cycling straight to Breda. We enjoyed it again!
The route
Our route takes you through the north of Breda to a cycling path along the Hollandsch Diep, where you have a view of the Biesbosch. After climbing over the Moerdijk Bridge (A16), you reach the Island of Dordrecht. Then you take a ferry at Kop van ‘t Land and cycle around the Biesbosch towards the Land of Heusden and Altena. Via the Keizersveerbrug along the A27 you descend back towards Brabant. There, the fortified town of Geertruidenberg awaits you, before you continue down towards Breda via the Houtse Meer and the Vrachelse Heide.
Good to know:
- If you are cycling at a time when the ferry does not run in Terheijden, please park your car in Terheijden and start your bike ride from there. Alternatively, check where you can cross the Mark in Breda and make sure you cycle on the right side of the Mark. This way, you will avoid the ferry.
- You can pay with cash on the bridge near Terheijden and Kop van ‘t Land. You can’t do this at Pontje Steur, so please bring cash. sufficient cash bring money.
- There are almost no catering establishments/shops between Kop van ‘t Land and Hank.
If you find this route too long, you can shorten it considerably after the bridge at Kop van ‘t Land. Instead of cycling around the Biesbosch, you cycle here towards the Anna Jacominplaat and take that ferry towards Lage Zwaluwe.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.