Blog Cycling Low Holland with the whole family

Are you on holiday in Edam or Volendam and would you like to discover the area with the whole family? Then get on your bike and pedal through the typically Dutch landscape of this area. During this route you will cycle through the polder and over the dike, where the wind makes the water slosh. Based on rest points along the route, you will discover how important the dike is for this area. Picturesque farms and small villages are also part of this route, not forget to mention fund and educational activities for the children. In this blog I will introduce you to what there is to see and experience along 1 of the many cycling routes that run through Low Holland.

Start: Edam/Volendam

The most important thing about cycling is of course having a bike. If you have not brought your own bicycles, you can of course rent them in Edam or Volendam.

Bike rental Volendam: Rent & Event - T'Vissertje - Fietsservice Koning

Bike rental Edam: Schotfietsverhuur

Whether you start with the cycling route in Edam or Volendam doesn’t really matter. The route runs along the dike of Edam and therefore it is good to know that if you depart from Volendam you first must cycle through the city of Edam before the route can be continued over the dike.

One of the first sights you will encounter on this route is the Ford of Edam. Before you leave, check the opening times, because you should not miss a visit to this more then 100 years old Ford.

Read more about the adventures that you can experience in the Ford of Edam on https://www.fortbijedam.nl/

1^st stop: Warder

The route continues along the IJselmeerdijk to the village of Warder. Along the way you pass the ‘murderess break’, a small nature reserve. The Artemis care farm is located at the beginning of Warder, the children can spot here a variety of animals. Is it very hot outside? Then it is nice to also stop at the public swimming pool of Warder. Here the children can cool off in the water of the lake and play in the playground. Hungry? At the old school restaurant in Warder, you are at the right place for a nice lunch or a cup of coffee with cake.

Take a peek at the menu of the old school in Warder on https://de-oudeschool.nl/

2^d stop: Etersheim

The route along the IJselmeerdijk then takes you to the village of Etersheim. First you come across an old school and that is not just any school, no that is the school of Dik Trom. Or at least this was the school where C. Joh Kieviet, the writer of Dik Trom was a teacher from 1883 till 1902. He wrote his first book about Dik Trom in the house next to this school. The school has remained almost completely intact and has a classroom where children nowadays can participate in a lesson from the past. They can dress up like the kids did at that time and write wit a dip pen or with a pencil on slate. You really take a step into the past and see and experience how grandma used to be taught at school. The Dik Trom walking route also runs through Etersheim. This walk is very fun and educational for the children.

Discover more about the school of Dik Trom and the walking route on https://hetschooltjevandiktrom.nl/

If you follow the Etersheimer Braakweg you will arrive at the visitor’s center the break. In the summer you can enjoy here a piece of homemade apple pie in the sun with a view on the old mill and the sheep, but also on a rainy day it is possible to enjoy a nice hot chocolate inside. The mill is no longer in use but can be visited. It is said that the ghost of the Miller’s wife still haunts the mill after the fire in 1886, because after the fire there was no trace of her….

Read more about the visitor’s center the break on https://www.debreek.com/

3^d stop: Oosthuizen

After the stop at Etersheim, the route runs along the village of Oosthuizen. Here you cycle along the water, and you can see the imposing large church of Oosthuizen from a far. Architecturally, this church is a pretty picture to shoot, both inside and out. The church was built around the 16^th century and the organ that plays there is probably the oldest playable organ in all of Europe. The church is open for viewing, but first check the opening times on the church’s website, because you don’t want to stand in front of a closed door.

The opening times you can find here at program  https://www.grotekerk-oosthuizen.nl/

4^dstop: Middelie

The route continues along the seevancksweg to Middelie. During this part of the route, you will cycle through the real polder landscape of Low Holland, and you will come across various farms and meadows. Have you not eaten yet? The Wapen of Middelie is a great restaurant. This restaurant and hotel have been around for more than 150 years and serves the tastiest regional products.

Along the Buitengouwweg you can see the beautiful wetland landscape with its swaying reed fringes. Here it is also clearly visible that peat-dying took place during the time of the regents and monarchs. The meadows surrounded by puddles and ditches are proof of this. Without these events of the past, no cows would walk here, and no people would live here today. Always a fun fact to pass on to kids.

Take a peek at the menu on http://www.hetwapenvanmiddelie.nl/

Middelie and the surrounding meadows in the polder area are the last part of this one and half-hour cycle route. However, with the activities on the route, you as a family will have fun the whole day. The routes takes you at the end back to Edam. There is also plenty to in Edam itself. Read more about the sights and activities in Edam on the website