Boat and Bike in the Netherlands

You start your tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands in the port city of Rotterdam. Located at the mouth of the Rhine into the North Sea, the city is now one of the most modern cities in Europe. Take a walking tour to discover one of the largest ports in the world, a wealth of museums and architectural masterpieces. Embarkation on the MS Normandie starts at 4 p.m.

Here we go! Always along the water you reach Kinderdijk. The small town calls the most famous windmills of the Netherlands its own – a real postcard motif. 19 in number, they date from the 18th century and served to drain low-lying areas. Through a polder area you cycle on to Dordrecht. The town is the oldest in Holland and enchants with its numerous historic buildings and pretty house fronts along the canals.

At the very beginning of today's stage of your tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands, you will take a ferry crossing to the nature reserve De Biesbosch. Various rivers form a freshwater delta covering several thousand hectares, which is crisscrossed by numerous bike paths and waterways. With Gorinchem you reach a former fortified town, which already had its beginnings as a farming and fishing village more than 1000 years ago.

First, your tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands takes you to Leerdam, known for its eponymous cheese. Further it goes to Vianen. There you cross the river Lek and reach, via Vreeswijk and Nieuwegein, the fourth largest Dutch city: Utrecht. Take a walk through the old town, which is crisscrossed by canals. The Utrecht Cathedral cannot be overlooked. Its 112 meter high church tower is the highest in the Netherlands. It stands separated from the rest of the church due to a storm in the 17th century.

You cycle through polder landscapes to Oudewater with almost no slope. The small village was the scene of so-called cradle trials in the 16th century, which took place in the context of witch trials. Anyone who was considered too light-weighted for their height and could therefore ride a broom was, from the point of view of the time, convicted of witchcraft. To this day, those interested can be weighed at the Heksenwaag – certificate included. Your destination for the day, Schoonhoven, is considered the Silver City of the Netherlands. The Nederlands Zilvermuseum provides insights into the history of Dutch silversmithing.

Today you are spoilt for choice: You can cycle to Delft, known for its famous porcelain, or a few kilometers further on you can get to know the Dutch seat of government, The Hague, and the North Sea resort of Scheveningen. You can shorten the return trip by train (not included). Whichever destination you choose, you can organize the last day of your tour by boat and bike in the Netherlands according to your wishes.

Today you are spoilt for choice: you can cycle to Delft, known for its famous porcelain, or a few kilometers further on you can get to know the Dutch seat of government, The Hague, and the North Sea resort of Scheveningen. You can shorten the return trip by train (not included). Whichever destination you choose, you can organize the last day of your tour with bike and boat in South Holland according to your wishes.