Bike and Barge Holland: Historic Towns and Flower Fields

Day 1: Check in and cycle to Spakenburg (25 miles)

Guide, Sietse, will greet you onboard at noon in Amsterdam. We fit bikes and head east of the city along the Rhine Canal to the amazing castle Muiden. This fairytale castle built by the Count Floris in 1280 has a long history and nowadays a popular visit by tourists.

You will then cycle through old former fishing villages that thrived on the once great Zuiderzee - now a peaceful river created by damming.

After cycling through lovely- preserved forest area, we sightsee gorgeous Naarden- one of the best preserved fortified towns of Europe. Sietse strolls us along old streets and centuries-old defense walls. Arriving just in time for a relaxation time aboard ship, we celebrate the evening with a Welcome Dinner and introduction of guests and crew.

Day 2: Harderwijk-Kampen (23 miles)

Flora sails us during breakfast to the 13th century town of Harderwijk to start our cycling. Our route today visits ancient towns along the former Zuider Sea which were part of the great Hanseatic League- a commercial and defensive confederation started in the 12th century of merchant guilds and market towns in central and northern Europe.

We will also cycle into the province of Flevoland to follow a few roads of the popular Tulpen Route (tulip route) and first photo ops of gorgeous flower fields.

We cross the water into OverIjssel province to our destination of Kampen. A great shipping port of yesteryear, we still behold the city’s prosperity in impressive old churches, grand buildings and medieval city gates.

Day 3: Schokland-Urk (25-27 miles)

We depart Kampen cycling along the Ijssel Lake. A bridge crossing takes us into the Northeast polderland. Here we find the former island of Schokland. Once a tiny tract of moor land floating in the old sea, Schokland is now a unique mound settlement protected under UNESCO.

Sietse will take you via bike and foot to explore the village and impart his historical knowledge of the ancient area.

Our destination is the coastal village of Urk. First recoded in the 10th century by the Romans, Urk was an island floating in the Zuiderzee just north of Schokland. We take time to walk the lanes of the historic town and sample fresh fish caught by the Urk fishermen.

Day 4: Enkhuizen (22 miles)

A morning sail across the Ijssel Lake brings us to the Province of North Holland and the beautiful harbor of Enkhuizen.

In the 1600s due to its affiliation with the Dutch East Indies Trading Company (VOC), Enkhuizen became a rich city. We still see this in the many finely decorated Renaissance buildings, idyllic canals and grand medieval harbor gate.

We head for the exciting open-air Zuiderzee Museum. Here we witness life as it was over a hundred years ago, enjoying a guided stroll with Sietse through this authentic fishing village.

Day 5: Hoorn (25 miles)

We leave Enkhuizen in search of more flower fields in bloom. On the way we plan a visit to a working windmill before heading into lively Hoorn. Once ships that sailed from Hoorn traded all over the world, Bringing back valuable commodities such as spices and tobacco under the East Indies Company, Hoorn became a prosperous town.

The old town center still retains its charm and impressiveness from the Golden Age of wealth and fortune. Sietse will stroll us around the museum harbor and stop at one of the charming cafes for a beer or favorite Dutch ice cream.

Tomorrow is Kingsday- the most celebrated of Dutch holidays. You will already see and hear festivities in every town and the whole country will be wildly decorated in the Dutch color-Orange.

Day 6: Volendam (23 miles)

We leave Hoorn following a pristine nature area along the Ijsselmeer dijk with water views as far as the eye can see. Turning inland, we cycle through flower fields to the village of Beets where we visit the dairy farm, Kastanjehoeve. Here we enjoy a tour of a real working- nature conservation- milk farm, then enjoy our lunch and Dutch desert with the farmers.

We stop by lovely Edam, a known fishing and shipbuilding village from 1200. Sietse takes us on a stroll past the town’s iconic tea-houses, leaning Carillon tower from 1561, Dam, impressivenTown hall, and Great Church, one of the largest in the Netherlands. with stained glass windows dating from 1600.

Our destination is Volendam. A very lively town, it will be enthusiastically celebrating Kingsday with music, crowds on the boardwalk and colorfully decorated boats.

Day 7: Amsterdam (24 miles)

Friday, we leave Volendam enjoying more extraordinary nature habitats along the Markermeer Lake. The shoemaker at a tiny cheese farm, Irene Hoeve, will demonstrate the old-fashioned craft of making Dutch clogs.

Right next door we admire the town of Monnickendam. You will be struck by old world charm as we stroll the tiny cobblestone streets, harbor with centuries- old fishing boats and preserved architecture originally constructed from 1355.

Then a lunch break at a tiny restaurant in the lovely old town- Broek en Waterland- where we are treated to scrumptious Dutch pancakes called Pannekoeken. Just a few more miles through beautiful countryside and along the great North Holland Canal into Amsterdam.

Day 8: Goodbye to the Netherlands

Saturday morning, we will have breakfast, say our goodbyes to guide Sietse, Berthus and Jonne of Flora and new cycling friends from this wonderful adventure. We disembark at 9 a.m. for home.