Holland is a cycling country: 18 million inhabitants, all with bikes. The number of cyclists necessitates a cycling infrastructure: cycle paths (33,000 km), cycle routes (long and short distance), cycle bridges, cycle tunnels, cycle ferries and special signposts for cyclists.
Cycling is part of normal life in the Netherlands; parents bring their children to school by bike, people go to work by bike ( factory workers, doctors, even the prime minister!). The Netherlands is also a land of water. Almost a third of the Netherlands is situated below sea level. The lowest point is 6,76 meter below sea level. 17% of the total surface consists of water and the waterways are in total over 6,000 km long.
It's just logic to discover the Netherlands from the saddle and the water and join one of our bike and barge tours. Surprisingly, it took Cycletours holidays until 1987, 6 years after it was founded, to be the first to offer bike and boat tours in the Netherlands.
Cycletours Holidays guarantees you a flat and mountain free cycling tour.
Between April and mid-May we offer special bike and barge tulip tours, centered on the Tulip theme and you visit of course the Keukenhof.
The tulip originated in Turkey. The tulip bulb reached The Netherlands at the end of the 16th century. The flower and bulb were thought to be so special that a lively trade arose quite quickly. In 1634 there was one single bulb that was so expensive, a whole canal side house in Amsterdam could be bought with the money worth it. In 1637 the government took the speculation in hand and the bulbs dropped in price drastically. The bulb and flower became "normal". The route leads through vast fields of tulips. The entry of the Keukenhof is included in the tour.
In the 12th century Amsterdam was no more than a modest settlement at the mouth of the river Amstel, with open connection to the sea. In those days fishermen and craftsmen built a dam in the Amstel (now the site of the National Monument) and Amstel-re-damme was born. Amsterdam was granted a municipal charter in 1275 and has since expanded continually. In the 17th and 18th century Amsterdamers were the most prosperous Europeans. The famous rings of canals were dug in the Golden Age, the 17th century. Powerful merchants had their abundantly ornamented mansions built here, thus manifesting their riches.
Amsterdam is a city to be explored on foot and we recommend the following places of interest: the rings of canals; the Jordaan area with its many pubs, outdoor cafés and quaint shops; Vondelpark with its open air concerts; Leidseplein; Rembrandtplein; the antique shops in the Spiegel district; Museum Square with the Rijksmuseum (National Museum), Stedelijk Museum (Museum of Modern Art), Van Gogh Museum and of course the Anne Frank House.
Imagine a floating hotel sailing to the next stage, while you are calmly pedaling along. No lugging of luggage: that is exactly what Bike & Barge holidays are all about!
In the pleasant atmosphere on board you can have a chat, go through the day with your fellow passengers and enjoy the meals prepared specially for cyclists. In the evenings you can enjoy a drink in the salon or admire the setting sun on deck.
All our bike and barge tours start and/or finish in the city centre of Amsterdam. You can choose between different routes. You can choose to start or finish in The Netherlands, start or finish in Belgium or finish in Germany. These tours from Amsterdam to Bruges v.v. or Amsterdam to Koblenz are very popular, but you can also choose for our classics in Holland: Top of Amsterdam with the isle of Texel or the Southern tour with visit to Haarlem, Leiden, Delft, Kinderdijk and Gouda.The Rhine and IJssel tour explores the eastern part of the country and on the Friesland and Lake IJssel tour you discover the villages from the Golden Age and the rural province of Friesland.
Don't hestitate to contact us in our office in Amsterdam for advice or answers to all your questions. We understand that cycling in the Netherlands is something we do every day, but for you it's a new and exciting experience!