Anyone looking for a beautiful gravel route in the Wadden Islands has to really put in the effort. Really. Because the fields are used for crops, and a large forest or natural area is almost non-existent in this region. Here you won’t find hipsters with saddle bags and flannel work shirts. The farmer’s paths are paved with concrete slabs. The fast bike route from Winsum to Groningen and vice versa is neatly laid out and well-maintained. There’s no shell path here. Asphalt outside the villages. Cobbles around the church. Gravel bike. The ‘Grunninger’ laughs about it. Nothing for him.
Cyclists are walking (towards) Spaak in Groningen
From the basement (or is it the kitchen) a cheerful man comes up shot. While one of us is talking to the barista at Spaak, my attention turns to the man from the basement. A sharp ‘moi’ sounds out from his mouth. Gronings for ‘hoi, hallo, goededag’ and many other forms of greeting. When I ask about Martijn, he says laughing: ‘Officially I am that!’ What the official title is, I don’t know. A nice conversation ensues about the company Spaak, about why we are here and about cycling. Martijn has a passion for the business. He is in the kitchen, in the shop and suddenly he is gone. On his way to a customer and for a grocery shopping outside the store.
The company Spaak It’s a beautiful mix of a coffee shop, bike retail and repair shop. It’s understandable that this is a dedicated Shimano Service Center and also a point of sale for Focus bicycles and bikes from Schindelhauer. Every weekend day, there are ‘spoke rides’ that invariably end back at the Oude Boteringestraat in the center of Groningen. In that respect, it’s a place with passion. A wonderful place to come home to.
Everything against
Against the wind. This is what the region is known for. The Wadden Sea can be described as being filled with wind. That is why the windmills adorn the landscape. The wordplay ‘Wad een wind’ is now outdated. The wind blows hard in the face. They call it ‘snot voor de ogen’. Literally in this case. Keep on cycling, no matter what happens. Due to the wind, you can see even better what the region is renowned for: its vastness. Straight roads. Farmlands. Fields of grain. It is almost a straight line from Groningen to Appingedam. With some effort, it is possible to cycle a stretch of unpaved road there. Thesinge provides a solution in this regard.
Suspended kitchens
In the town of Appingedam, it’s a clash of old and new. Anyone who comes into the town by bike has to first struggle through the new construction to finally get out into the charming center. Many Dutch people will only know Appingedam from the lessons of geography. In the lineup of Appingedam, Stadskanaal, Delfzijl. A difficult journey through the Eems and the Dollard. Anyone who expects a 1970s shopping center in Appingedam is disappointed. Appingedam has atmosphere. In the center of Appingedam, the phenomenon of the hanging kitchens is the main attraction of the city. An interesting detail: normally, cities also have this type of hanging construction. There are no kitchens there, but the drainage system is installed instead. The three kitchens are a beautiful photo spot in the heart of this town.
Eating in the church, sleeping in the synagogue
Many churches in the Netherlands have been converted into living spaces, training facilities or restaurants. There are countless examples. The most beautiful bookstore in the Netherlands, Waanders in de Broeren, is perhaps the epitome. It is also located in Appingedam. Restaurant the Basilica fallen prey to the declining church attendance and transformed into a charming restaurant. Here you can find pure and local products. The gastronomy of the region usually manifests itself in the mustard soup. That can be found on the menu at almost every restaurant. After three attempts in two days, I’ve finally figured it out. It takes skill to make good mustard soup. They certainly master this art here. Saillante details: in this church, the place of the former baptismal font is now home to a champagne cooler. The church also has a B&B. It’s located in a synagogue. They also have a café. Where that is located. Actually, that’s all out of the hands of God.
G(r)on(ing)e(d) with the wind
The landscape between Appingedam and the more northwestern Loppersum is a mosaic of clay soil and fields. Sometimes these two come together, other times not. The railway line between Groningen and Roodeschool forms an unnatural separation in this area. The inhabitants of this region do not hide their origins. They actively flag their support. Not only for the Groninger four-color flag, but also for Ukraine. As funny as it may sound, it adds extra color. Color that does show through in the brick houses. Our earlier The route also partly passed through this part of Groningen. Here you pass by paths that invite you to gravel bike rides. They often end at the beginning of a pasture, where you can’t go any further. It’s literally a struggle to find unpaved roads.
Middelstum
Around Middelstum, roughly in the middle of the province, there is a typical forest that we know from the Randstad area. As if the municipality had thought about it, there is a shell path through it. You can drive it in several ways. Gravelaars be like, yeah! We are still heading towards a beautiful pond, where there is also a shell path around it. This is where the local population likes to come, but especially to let their dog out. For the gravel enthusiasts, this is just a shell path. In Groningen, which is sparsely paved with gravel strips, it is a welcome change.
You can’t go wrong, can you
Several times on this route we take a path that simply invites you to drive, only to have to turn around after 200 meters. Maybe we should pay the local farmers to be able to drive over their fields. As an alternative, we might drive a little more along the roadside instead of on it. Along many stretches of asphalt there is a nice gravel path. This way we finally reach the unpaved meters we are looking for. Past Ten Post we follow a stream towards Krangweer. Here there is a narrow concrete path, with an adjacent beautiful wide gravel path. That is pure bliss. Further on it is also a bit wet. That bike has to come back dirty and dirty!
Honesty is honesty
The Wadden area would be perfect for gravel paths. There is plenty of pasture land, plenty of space, and on the map you see many small paths. But if you are looking for gravel in the Wadden, it remains limited to shorter stretches, paths, and here and there a piece of grass. The route we rode was nevertheless enjoyable. With beautiful winding paths along the water, through the nature and the vastness of the landscape. The gravel kings of Groningen are not yet to be named. But it was beautiful nonetheless.
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.