North Holland: Road bike tours from the highest dunes in the Netherlands to the North Sea and IJsselmeer lake
Sven Bremer
· 13.05.2022
North Holland is flatter than flat. The 54 metre high Schoorls dunes are by far the highest elevation far and wide, followed by the dykes that protect this area, which is surrounded by water on three sides. This corner of the Netherlands jutting out into the sea lies between the North Sea to the west and the IJsselmeer and Markermeer to the east.
Two tours to the sea
One of our two tours leads along forest and meadow paths out of Alkmaar and via Egmomd to Bergen. There, one-a-cycle paths lead through the forest and dunes to Camperduin. There you can cycle along the dyke below, but it is of course much nicer to take the new Fietspad (more like a cycle motorway) up in the dunes. With a view of the sea, you cycle - ideally with a tailwind - as far as Petten; from there to Callantsoog there is unfortunately only a gravel track through the dunes. From Den Helder, the return journey begins through perfectly flat farmland, which is definitely at its most beautiful when millions of tulips are in bloom in spring. From Groet, you return to Alkmaar on small roads and farm tracks.
The second lap leads past the museum mills in Schermerhorn towards Hoorn. From Scharwoude, the route continues along the Markermeer, from about Hoorn on the dyke, with views of the numerous flat-bottomed ships and yachts on the sea, which is actually a lake. After Enkhuizen, the route continues along the dyke to Medemblik, this time on the Ijsselmeer. From Medemblik, the route leads back through meadows and pastures to Alkmaar.
