If you want to climb some of the highest peaks in East-Netherlands in a beautiful environment, then the Sallandse Heuvelrug The place you have to visit. This national park is a must for almost every cyclist. You will find a beautiful combination of climbs here, with the Holterberg as the highlight of course. We were already in the area during our collaboration with Landal Sallandse Heuvelrug But then we had the gravel bike with us. Combined with the nearby Lemelerberg, this section of Overijssel Pure enjoyment. We’ll take you on a tour.
Snoring and sweating
In 2020, we already rode a beautiful route along all the highlights of the Netherlands. This was for a good cause, including the Amerongse Berg, Lemelerberg, and Holterberg. Even for the experienced event organizer, there was still a bit to learn in the end. Because one tip for organizing a simple cycling event: start and finish at the same place. Nevertheless, the route we had planned was one to be written home about. Because when you now ride along the Amerongse Berg, Radio Kootwijk, the bridge over the IJssel near Zwolle, and through the Lemelerberg and Holterberg? The answer is: never!
Woody climb
We have now completed a beautiful round that includes some highlights of the route mentioned earlier. So we will cycle both over the Lemelerberg and the Holterberg and eventually we will also take the Sanatoriumlaan for a bit. We will leave the Archemerberg to the left, partly because this is a narrow cycling path up and especially in the summer it is very busy with e-bikers. No problem with e-bikers, but if you would like to ride comfortably, especially in a group, the combination of a narrow cycling path and e-bikers is not a good combination.
Driving through the country
In our route that we are starting now at Landal Sallandse Heuvelrug, we drive down to the bottom of the Holterberg and then up through the park towards Lemele. We take the Lemelerberg from the difficult side (which is therefore west-east). The easy side is also quite a challenge, but the percentages are less there. Along the way, we take the Sanatoriumlaan and turn back towards the park after the Holterberg. This route can also be easily started from Holte, Lemele, or for example Ommen.
Lemelerberg
The Lemelerberg is often covered in snow in all Dutch ‘climbing’ weather. For runners it is a well-known mountain, also because events are often organized there. For cyclists it is somewhat less well-known. But in the climb of 1200 meters you cover 20 vertical meters. With a maximum of 3% you don’t really go all the way. It’s a nice sprint climb through the woods. After the descent, which is fairly straightforward, we turn right towards the next crux.
Lemelerberg, Lemele, Netherlands
• Distance: 1.1 km, Elevation difference: 31 m, Average gradient: 2.9 %
Interlude
The section between the Lemelerberg and the Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park can be crossed in several ways. You can choose to take the climb up the Sanatoriumlaan. It is a winding, undulating ascent to a short climb of a few hundred meters. The maximum is about 5%, but it is still a nice workout for your calves.
Holterberg
As soon as you reach the Sallandse Heuvelrug National Park, you have plenty of opportunities to not only measure your altitude, but also to enjoy beautiful views. If you drive through the village of Haarle, you can visit the WR Bikes, a nice climb; just grab some water and get ready for the climbs that are coming. It really is a bit more painful than the previous challenges. For example, the mountain road from Haarlem is a nice warm-up for the final ‘deep hell’ that you also have to overcome. It goes towards Holten towards 10%. If you start from Holten via the Motieweg, you also have to go deep to get something done. Then you descend towards the visitor center on the Nijverdalseberg. There you can also visit Herman Experience Cycling stop to get some water, coffee, a chat, or if something is wrong with your bike.
All in all, this is a beautiful area where you can have fun, both on the racer and on the gravel bike. The trails in and around the national park are particularly rewarding, just as you would expect in a country park. this article You can read. The Bergweg from Haarle has a sandy path next to the asphalt. There are also some beautiful ‘strade bianche’ paths on the north side of the park. Around the Lemelerberg you can also enjoy a beautiful walk in the forest. The Sallandse Heuvelrug is therefore a place you really have to visit.
Overnight stay
You have many options for sleeping in this region. We are a big fan of the options at Landal and Landal Hellendoornse Berg It is located a stone's throw away. Nice accommodations and you are so close to the most beautiful routes.
An alternative is of course Landal Sallandse Heuvelrug, This park is located a little more towards the east. We already discovered this park during our 12 months, 12 parks, 12 provinces project.
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.