{"id":4875,"date":"2022-02-08T19:38:50","date_gmt":"2022-02-08T18:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/?p=4875"},"modified":"2026-10-05T07:43:16","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T07:43:16","slug":"gravelen-in-the-achterhoek-the-hit-of","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cyclingdestination.cc\/en\/verhalen\/gravelen-in-de-achterhoek-de-hit-van-2022","title":{"rendered":"Gravel in the Achterhoek: the latest hit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gravel in the Achterhoek is booming. Many cyclists have fallen in love with the gravel virus. The Achterhoek, the famous region in the Netherlands, seems made for it. Many long sandy roads, beautiful gravel paths\u2014what more could you want? Time to take a closer look at it. Guest blogger Nynke Cuperus went out to gravel in the Achterhoek for us. The photos and the route are a real treat for the eyes. When are you going to gravel in the Achterhoek?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Enjoying
gravel paths to enjoy!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beautiful region<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Achterhoek. You\u2019ll find this region east of Apeldoorn and Arnhem. A region with a varied landscape where you\u2019ll feel more at home on a gravel bike. Not only will you find forests and hills here, but also old tractor trails and wide sandy roads that take you past characteristic farmyards and beautiful meadows. The fact that you can ride off-road well here is also evident from the excellent MTB route network. The mountain bike route near Lochem was voted the best route in the Netherlands at the MTB Trail Awards. In addition, a 300-kilometer mountain biking network is being built in the region. That\u2019s not a bad thing! This should make the region the mountain biking mecca of the Netherlands.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read also: Five reasons to start mountain biking<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Text and photos: Nynke Cuperus<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Beautiful
Wonderful gravel paths through the countryside in the Achterhoek<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nynke
Happiness on a bike!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beautiful routes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Because these grandiose plans sound super cool, I decided to take the bike out for a spin and go gravel biking in the Achterhoek, together with my friend. Outdoor Achterhoek<\/a> You will find a dozen routes that take you to the most beautiful places in the region and beyond. The routes have been compiled by local gravel enthusiasts. You will also find routes that are part of the Strade Bianche Achterhoek<\/a>, a beautiful event that has been organized for several years in a row.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the recommendation of Outdoor Achterhoek, we decided to go for the Gravel tour Montferland<\/a> of 55 kilometers to go. This route runs through one of the hilliest parts of the Achterhoek and takes you to the southern part of the region; Montferland. You will also measure altitude on the German Eltenberg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Beautiful
Views overlooking the hill<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The river<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Start in Zeddam<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The route starts at Berc Bike Studio Caf\u00e9<\/a> In the picturesque town of Zeddam, a lovely village perched on a hill. Berc Bike is a good base for exploring the area. Besides a beautiful bike shop, you\u2019ll also find a cozy bike caf\u00e9 where coffee and specialty beer are ready for you. If you don\u2019t have a bike yourself or can\u2019t bring it in the car, you can also rent a mountain bike or gravel bike here and thereby directly support the Prinses M\u00e1xima Centrum. My friend rented a mountain bike at Berc Bike because the gravel bikes weren\u2019t available at the time. The MTB was a good alternative. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s<\/strong> go!<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As soon as we turn around at Berc Bike, we immediately face a climb. We cycle along the \u2018Muur van Zeddam\u2019, a half-kilometer-long gravel road with a gradient of 3.7%. In 2017, the street was part of the Dutch National Cycling Championships. The top of the climb is at 42 meters high and we are immediately rewarded with a beautiful view over Montferland. A very nice start to the gravel tour!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Beautiful
Beautiful trails in East-Netherlands<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nynke
View over\u2026Germany?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Through the middle of nowhere in Germany<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Next, we cycle along all kinds of dirt roads past farms and take part in a whole section of a mountain bike course from the 1990s. That course is not comparable to the singletracks of today; we are cycling over wide gravel tracks. As soon as we pass the German<\/a> Crossing the border, we ride over a narrow forest path, after which we soon cycle through meadows and over dirt roads of asphalt. Maybe it\u2019s the weather (cloudy with a hard wind), but it\u2019s striking that we hardly encounter people here. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calves<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Because of the strong wind, we have to pedal hard and there is hardly any shelter to be found. When we almost got grumpy, we suddenly cycle past a farmer\u2019s field with a stable full of calves. And of course we have to stop there! The calves are very curious; they all want attention. So sweet! The calves have completely captured our hearts! And while we are still talking about how cute they were, suddenly we find ourselves back in the Netherlands<\/a> to cycle. Now we encounter a lot of water. We also cycle a little wrong, which means that we end up in a very difficult situation. shortcut <\/em>have to cross a dyke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Nynke
Dear little calves!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Thomas
Always just petting the animals<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Climbing <\/strong>at The Eltenberg<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Good news! The wind is blowing in our favor here and now. That of course makes cycling a lot more enjoyable! We also soon reach the most enjoyable part of the route; we can see the church tower of Hoog-Elten in the distance. That means we\u2019re going to climb again! The 82.4-meter-high Eltenberg awaits us. And although you can\u2019t of course compare this \u2018mountain\u2019 with the Alps<\/a> of Dolomites<\/a>, From the top, we can see kilometers away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"victory
We're up there!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"enjoying
Great view like that<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Last bit of graveling in the Achterhoek<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Once we have enjoyed the view, we descend. And that descent is awesome! A narrow path leads us down downhill <\/em>We cross a forest. We make a few more kilometers through the forest and over dirt roads, and then cycle into the town of \u2018s-Heerenberg. There we see \u2013 completely unexpectedly for us \u2013 Kasteel Huis Bergh, one of the largest water castles in our country with a beautiful estate. Also the Bergherbos, where we then cycle through it. We then see the windmill of Zeddam appear quite quickly. That means we are back at Berc bikes: time for cappuccino, apple pie and bike talk!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"Gravelen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nynke<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Appetite<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Route and more<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We noticed that people are very friendly when passing them and often say hello. We recommend that you bring enough food and drink with you when you start cycling. Along the way, we didn\u2019t encounter many places to eat or drink. Also prepare yourself for some long stretches where you cycle over asphalt. Due to the strong wind, those stretches of the route were a bit less pleasant, but that\u2019s a good reason to come back when the sun is shining and nature is in bloom. You will definitely get a holiday feeling in the Achterhoek. Lots of cycling fun (and the route to go gravel biking in the Achterhoek is below ;))<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read also: <\/p>\n\n\n\n