At cyclingdestination.cc/ We inspire you for your next cycling adventure. This could be a multi-day cycling holiday abroad, a bikepacking trip, or maybe even a micro adventure nearby. It doesn't matter. The most important thing we want to do is show cool places that you think: I have to go there. Then our mission is accomplished. When it comes to a bike adventure, the first thought is often: abroad, mountains and far away. While there is still plenty to discover in your own country, your own province, your own region. In 2020 and 2021, we discovered the Utrecht Heuvelrug, Brabant, the Achterhoek and more. Omstreken, an ode to the best cycling country in the world: the Netherlands. A must have in our opinion.
A tribute to the best cycling country in the world
Esther de Lange and Merijn Heijne even went so far as to document the love of cycling for the Netherlands on paper. Their book OMSTREKEN, an ode to the best cycling country in the world, provides insights in several episodes into beautiful routes, trails, side roads, areas, and climbs that you might otherwise have passed by.
When we heard about this initiative, and subsequently had access to the book, we were immediately sold. The Netherlands is beautiful. Truly very beautiful. Presenter Herman van der Zandt, himself an avid cyclist, wrote a personal foreword to the book: ‘Cycling in your own country remains an exploration journey.’
The unknown makes one loved
The Netherlands is famous and renowned for its fantastic infrastructure. The entire arrangement of the LF cycling routes is already an art in itself. Because the fact that the Netherlands already has a lot of beautiful, well-marked trails is an absolute advantage. That also means that we particularly like to focus on the ‘unknown’.
Original layout
Back to the book, which has a thematic structure that you quickly see recurring. It covers everything from everything from dune paths, forest paths, tunnels or bridges. It’s really cool. Each chapter also has a unique title. Instead of Chapter 1 to 12 it’s: ‘Would I have brought that extra inner tube along?’ or ‘Where is that promised wind?’.
Uncharted paths
Episode 4 is called ‘Turn left here, believe me, there is really a path there’ and Esther and Merijn go into more detail about the unpaved paths there. We see 21 super beautiful stretches, both unpaved in the forest and even a nice stretch of Zeeuwse gravel roads. We asked both creators about their favorites:
Merijn Heijne
‘What I really enjoy along the way are the surprises. By that I mean sudden patches of gravel or a path that suddenly turns into a dirt road halfway through. It has even happened that I turn around and head back at the end of such a path just because it’s so much fun. Each path has its own character; the Kerkweg near Zeeuws Sint Kruis is amazing, for example. I cycled there with someone who was meeting gravel for the first time. No one really likes it when they’re struggling to overcome those bumps, but once they get off the path, a big smile always appears. Those are the moments that make cycling such a wonderful sport.’
Esther de Lange
‘In the cycling routes that I create myself, I often look for the right “flow”. Not to go too fast and too many turns, but above all a relaxed transition from the hard surface to the unpaved road and back again. Sometimes you just can’t avoid a sharp turn from the tight asphalt to a small, hidden path. A beautiful example of this is the Kerkepad between Polsbroek and Cabauw in the province of Utrecht. This is a very narrow and winding path with several bridges and wild streams. On both sides of this unpaved road are ditches, which can be quite exciting for oncoming drivers. But hey, that’s the fun of such paths!’
Given route
This fourth chapter has some really cool stuff in it. route, in the vicinity of Steenwijk.
The route starts on the north side of the station. Along the way you’ll encounter many beautiful sights. It starts quite early because you drive through Jonkheer Meester Doctor H.A. van Karnebeeklaan. Merijn and Esther asked in the book: ‘Is this one of the longest street names in the Netherlands?’
In addition to these remarkable sights, you will also pass through the colonial village of Wilhelminaoord and the Drents-Friese Wold National Park. Among other places, you will pass through the villages of Diever, the hamlet of Boschoord, along the heather fields of the Wapserveld and through places with names like Holtien and Lhee.
Besides the Drents-Friese Wold National Park, you drive through the Dwingelderveld (also a National Park and the largest wet moorland area in Western Europe). There you will also find the Dwingeloo Radio Telescope. You will also climb the ‘almighty’ VAM Mountain, an icon in the Drenthe region with such a short history.
Merijn and Esther secretly cycled over a section of unpaved road for a while, but you can easily get by with 25mm tires on that section. You end the route with a nice stretch through the Holtingerveld before returning to Steenwijk via the Steenwijker Aa and the Eesermeer.
About OMSTREKEN
The book OMSTREKEN, an ode to the best cycling country in the world, is available at bookstores and online, including via www.omstreken.com.
Specifications
Title: REVISITED
Subtitle: A tribute to the best cycling country in the world
Creators: Merijn Heijne, Esther de Lange
ISBN: 9789090351117
Format: 24 x 28 cm, hardcover, sewn binding, 256 pages, over 1.5kg!
Price: € 39,90
To be published: 28 November 2021
The route from this story
- Drenthe: Steenwijk en omstreken107.8 km · 266 hmGPX ↓
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.