With bicycles on the roof and in the back, we drive to the North Holland dunes. As we travel, the workweek fades into the background and we have completely forgotten about it when we arrive at the dunes. Landal Berger Duinen Arriving. The characteristic Landal flags are already waving sharply against the clear blue sky. The last summer weekend of 2024 is here for us!
Text and photos: Mountain High Chasers
With anticipation
With anticipation, we enter the key to the thatched ‘house no. 19’. With a big smile, we walk through and around it. One of the floors is located under the ground floor, which makes it impossible to tell how much space it actually has. The park itself is also small and beautifully laid out. Even in late September, the hedges are still blooming beautifully. On and off the bike, it promises to be a very pleasant weekend!
Still, the sea calls loudest, so we’re going to head to the coast for a while. With the rising sea and the sinking sun, we walk along the beach at Camperduin. From the terrace of the beach tent, we watch the sun until it’s last glimpse under the water.
The traces give
The freshly baked bread rolls are delivered to your door and end up directly on the richly filled breakfast table. The weekend atmosphere is perfect as we have one more coffee. After the last sip, the call of the mountain bike route is no longer to be resisted.
We barely leave the park when we find the characteristic signs with dots and a triangle just outside Schoorl. In the forest it immediately gets nice and steep and then steeper again. A hard and sometimes wooden surface is alternated with loose sand. It takes a while to get used to this rough surface, but once you get used to it the fun begins. We play with the track and the track sometimes plays with us. This is a bit different from the fast mountain bike trails elsewhere in the Netherlands.
Peace in the forest
In the wooded dunes, there is a sense of tranquility. Yet we are constantly faced with choices: take the left turn or the right? The easy way or the one with a ‘drop’? As confidence grows, the answer changes. And the fun continues!
The mountain bike route from Schoorl consists of three loops. One of medium difficulty (the purple one) and two (red and green) that are classified as difficult. Within these routes, you can choose the difficult or easy route on certain sections. With a little confidence in yourself and your (growing) technique, you can get down anywhere on these trails. If you still don’t dare, then walking is also beautiful here.
Relaxation
After the ride, we land at the bottom of the famous climbing wall in the heart of Schoorl. Our partners and children run down there for the umpteenth time. We also sit down there (with plenty of terrace space) and enjoy a unique piece of Holland.
Back at the park. Take off your cycling shoes, put your heels up and have a drink on the table. Have a nice chat about the ride and post the evidence on Strava. In the spacious garden surrounded by greenery, the relaxation takes over us. Now it’s time for the Green Egg to light up. The large (covered and occupied) garden table looks so out of that olive oil ad. The evening only ends when the last log is lit in the wood stove under the canopy.
Cycling pleasure
The breakfast is a copy of yesterday, but it doesn’t get old. The change in the route is the real highlight. This time we leave the dunes behind and head towards Geestmerambacht. The rave reviews are completely justified. Here, a group of creative people have gone all out. Every elevation difference is exploited, and with bridges, divers and stabling even more so. Big kudos to the responsible route builders; what an ode to cycling pleasure this is!
With a satisfied smile, we cycle back to Schoorl through a peaceful area. Time to play out all the loops there. As we stop for a moment after a few kilometers of singletrack, we notice how quiet it is here in the wooded dunes. We hear nothing but our own breathing and birds singing. No motorized noise to be heard. This red loop has the title ‘difficult’, a designation that honors the skill and muscle strength we must exert to ride it out. Climbing here often goes up short but steep (sometimes over wire or sheep fences for extra grip). To get down again over wooden structures with curves and drops, starting is the end. The kick of just doing it and realizing that you can do it is addictive.
Once again, lovely weather
The weather is wonderful today too. Among the hills of pine trees, we imagine ourselves in a Mediterranean setting. Yet we order a purely Dutch apple tart with coffee at Bospaviljoen De Berenkuil. Take off your helmet and head out into the sun. Should we try the green loop too? Yes, right?
We make a lot of choices, often in a split second. Should we put on a drop or not? Down here, on foot or on a bike? Exhausted, we roll back into the park. The bikes disappear into our bike shed and the sauna is turned on. A blissful luxury after a strenuous day of cycling.
Temperature and relaxation are rising. The weekend continues in our minds. North Holland has surprised us. That you can find so much challenge and fun on the thick tires here was never something we had ever imagined. Those elements are scattered across a beautiful and hilly dune area. From our luxurious cottage, we know enough; we will come here more often!
The Berger Dunes Park
The Berger Duinen park is actually located exactly between Schoorl and Bergen. The hamlet of Aagtdorp is home to it. The park is located right next to the MTB course of Schoorl, one of the more popular cycling areas in the North Holland region. At the park we have a beautiful large house, an Extra Luxe 8-person variant, with a BBQ. The park is set up on a small scale and fits nicely into the surroundings. The 8-person villas are the largest of those at the park. Unlike other parks, where you can also find accommodations for 10 or 12 people.
Routes Landal Berger Duinen – MTB
More of our Landal 12 months – 12 provinces – 12 park content?
- Cycling from Landal Ouddorp Duin on Goeree-Overflakkee and Zeeland
- Cycling routes in Schouwen-Duiveland – from Landal Resort Haamstede
- Landal Natuurdorp Suyderoogh: ideal for exploring the Wadden coast
- On a cycling adventure from Landal Waterparc Veluwemeer in Flevoland
- Landal Waterpark Sneekermeer: your base camp in Friesland!
- Cycling in Limburg starts on the Cauberg
- Gravel routes in North Brabant: Landal Klein Oisterwijk is your starting point!
- Cycling from Landal Sallandse Heuvelrug: beautiful routes in the east of the Netherlands
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.