If you choose to work from Utrecht cycling to the (north) west, you will soon find yourself in the Green Heart. This area is quite vast and in terms of roads, you have a lot of straight polder roads. However, the area is very large. It stretches from Amsterdam, to Utrecht to Rotterdam and The Hague. That means you can find a lot of variety. Cycling in the Green Heart namely means cycling along beautiful streams, winding roads with pollard willows and over all kinds of ditches, streams and through small villages. Villages where the trinity church, pub and Rabobank are still clearly visible. We set out on an early, grey Sunday to explore the stretch around the hamlets of Noorden, De Hoef and Kamerik. It could definitely be worse.
Starting point Utrecht
Relative to Utrecht, this part of the Green Heart that we will ride today lies to the north-west. To get there from the city, you actually always have to go through a few residential areas. That's no problem, because a nice cycle highway has been built along the railway. It starts on Cremerstraat and goes all the way through the Douwe Egberts factory, across the water and out of the city via the motorway. As we ride along that road this morning, the DE factory is running at full speed. The smell of freshly roasted coffee is infectious. 'Bakkie?" my cycling companion asks? Right there in the immediate vicinity you have some delicious places to drink coffee, like Mr Black and the White ox or SOIA. We skip for now.
Maximapark - Haarzuilens
Over the recognisable yellow Hogeweide bridge, we pull into town. If you want to head northwest from there, you actually have to go through the spacious Maxima Park. This newly landscaped park is quite popular with runners, cyclists, walkers and other local residents. Driving through here early in the morning is advisable, though. That said: there is a lot of space so you can get away with it. After crossing the park, we set off in the direction of Haarzuilens. The hamlet or village is best known for the magnificent castle next to it. As you saunter through the village, you see the cute little houses with the red and white shutters. Quite idyllic actually.
Cycling in the Green Heart: twists and turns
After passing through Haarzuilens, we head to our furthest point on the route: De Hoef. The route I created in Komoot is a bit messy. Guest blogger Rik de Voogd would have commented anyway, as it is not a round trip. We set off towards Kockengen, along a nice straight polder road with a narrow cycle path. This is familiar territory. The roads are fairly quiet and the only thing we really have to stop for is the train.
Woerdense Verlaat
The villages in this region sometimes bear beautiful names. So there is Woerdense Verlaat. Food for many a pun, but also the connection towards the Kromme Mijdrecht. This is typically such a beautiful little river in the green heart. It meanders towards Mijdrecht and you have beautiful views over nature and fields. You also pass a beautiful windmill and if you follow the river northwards, it merges with the Amstel. This really is a beautiful path, but not for nothing are there all kinds of signs along the way. It's quite busy here in summer. Apparently more people want to cycle in the Green Heart. So tip also for planning: don't cross this route on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
Nieuwkoop lakes
We turn left at one point to head back towards Utrecht. Here the view becomes more expansive again and the roads a little straighter. We catch a corner of the Nieuwkoop lakes, but in the end we don't see much water there. By the way, the cycle paths and roads here are very good, spacious and we have very little traffic. I guess it has to do with the weather and the time of day.
Back home
We turn past the Nieuwkoop lakes and ride on nice, wide roads. Meanwhile, we pass Noordeinde and Noordse Dorp. I have to chuckle, because this way it looks like Noorden is a metropolis, with a village added too. Oh well. We get back to Woerdense Verlaat, but there we take the turn towards Kanis and Kamerik. We literally have the wind on our butts as well, but well, it's really enjoyable on this winter day.
Last piece
Once past Kamerik, we are treated to another pretty lane with pollard willows along the side. Typical also for this area and it completes the route. North of Harmelen, we ride towards Vleuten again. The cycle paths here are like alleys. They are very inviting to ride on. That is sometimes different in other parts of the province or country. The very last stretch, through the built-up area, we follow the railway line again, which returns to Centraal via Utrecht Terwijde and Leidse Rijn. This stretch is the least inspiring, but in the end you have little alternative. When we arrive at the DE factory again, the lure of coffee is even stronger. This time we give in to it. A nice cup of coffee at home and a satisfied feeling
