Vecht River to Amstel River Vrienden op de Fiets

Staying at the B&B in the village of Loenen an der Vecht has been an incredible experience. This historic property has been lovingly restored by our hosts who have a home next door, but choose to live nearby on the River Vecht in their houseboat. Having ridden along the river, we understand the appeal of the lifestyle they enjoy.

We are grateful to the recommendation made by Dutch cyclists we have met, who told us not to miss this river, an unexplored gem. Following the Vecht river has offered us a relaxing and beautiful route for accessing where we will stay near Amsterdam on the Amstel River.

The kitchen is small but well outfitted and stocked with breakfast fixings and everything we could need to prepare meals.

Breakfast, as always in Holland is excellent…lots of choices from the local bakery, eggs, fruit, a variety of cheeses, coffee and juice….

We had the good fortune, that since our host is away for the next few days, we were offered us the use of the house for as long as we liked. Rather than checking out by 11, we relaxed and enjoyed the village and our house before setting off for Amsterdam which is just a few hours away by bike. It feels bittersweet as this will be our last day of riding before staying on the Amstel River and packing up for our flight home.

Barry found the bakery near our house….we celebrated our good fortune with coffee and the pastries before setting out.

Steep winding stairs are a common characteristic of Dutch homes. Compared to some places we have stayed, the stairs are not as shallow which makes climbing easier. However, take care and use the railing on the descent!

The house is small with the width being the size of the bedroom. Our bedroom and bathroom encompass the second level. The owners have restored this property with respect for its history in the design and materials used. The exception….which we appreciated, is the bathroom which they added behind the glass doors.

Loved the historic touches, like this beautiful original door in our bedroom with original black metal hardware.

Liked this whimsical painting of the Vecht River, showing its path north from Utrecht to the town of Muiden and the Zuider Zee. We are in Loenen, half way up the river.

A charming break from the traditional restoration of our B&B is the addition of this wine cellar, visible through the glass, below the floor.

This cat on the bench in front of our wee house made it feel like home.

Riding around the village of Loenen, we see cyclists, beautifully maintained homes, brick buildings, cobbled streets, historic windmills and flowers. That just about sums up our experience in the Netherlands.

Even without understanding the language, you can see how the windmill functions.

We offer a translation of the workings of a windmill.

Living by the water slows life down to a pace we enjoy and these lift bridges on the river are part of the charm. We live on an island in British Columbia, which is accessible only by ferry, and we can relate to the quality and pace of life we see along the river Vecht.

Just like the ferries, bikes and pedestrians go first, followed by the cars.

Hydrangeas in Holland are spectacular. Often we see them as a lush, huge wall of flowers.

Another village along the river…with hydrangeas, of course.

This windmill has a new life as a family home.

Cyclists take many forms here…roadies, heavily laden travellers, families, young people riding alongside holding hands, seniors. There is an expression that Dutch people are on bikes before they are born and will continue to ride as long as they live.

How exciting for us to come upon a RUST on our route today. In Holland, farms often have a RUST which is a place for cyclists and hikers to enjoy refreshments and food from their farm. The prices are reasonable and offer local hospitality.

This dairy farm has an impressive cheese production .

The farm’s cheese was tempting, but this freshly baked apple tarte and coffee caught our eye. Yum!

The farm dogs entertained us while we ate.

The RUST has a lovely location…the house is on the water and the fields are behind. It is a hot day. We appreciated having our treat by the water.

The couple who run this farm are very ambitious. They also offer accomodation.

As we get closer to the Zuiderzee, we are seeing more large boats like this one heading north.

This soccer ball has been well loved by the dogs at the farm

Despite the breeze from the river, we are all seeking shade on this hot day.

We are feeling nostalgic as we know we will soon be leaving the River Vecht and heading home.

Muiden is the final village before the Zuiderzee. The next stop will be the Amstel River, south of Amsterdam.

We have successfully completed our plan to ride 5 rivers on this trip…the Lahn, Moselle, Meuse, Maas and Vecht. Being close to the open waters of the Zuiderzee is quite exhilarating with winds and choppy seas.

From the infrastructure we see set up for this event, it looks like it will be very popular. We are glad we are riding through before the crowds come.

Speaking of infrastructure, even the signage is impressive.

You would think that riding through Amsterdam would be challenging…however, our ride has been very good with dedicated cycling routes.

We liked the effect of the vibrant colours of these modern buildings.

This modern eye catching hotel is a Fletcher Hotel.

We are on the Amstel River and have come full circle. We are completing our trip as we began…on a river. It has been a wonderful adventure.

We are staying on a farm by the Amstel River for our last 3 nights before flying home. It is a Vrienden op de Fiets accomodation and we appreciate the welcome sign in our kitchen.

We are staying on a dairy farm…the owner Wes, pictured on the milk carton, started an enterprise of marketing his milk and yogurt with 2 cents per litre going towards “Boor de Weidevogels”, wild birds in the area

Our number one tip about cycling in the Netherlands is to become a member of Vrienden op de Fiets. It costs 10 euros per year and it gives you access to 5,000 local hosts in Holland alone. The mandate of the organization is to provide comfortable accomodation, a nutritious breakfast, a place to securely store your bike s well as bike tools. The cost is set at 25€ per person.

Our accomodation at the farm is in a building that was a stable. Our hosts have retired from farming but continue to live here. We were pleasantly surprised when we first arrived as we have been given complete privacy in a large two storey building with our bedroom upstairs and all the comforts of home, plus a ping pong table and space for Seavo.

Even though we have been provided with a kitchen, our host brings breakfast to us every morning. The staircase on the right takes us up to our bedroom and a sitting area.

This sitting area upstairs is such a cosy spot with a view of the cows and the fields in the distance.

We feel fortunate to have found this place. Their home is facing the Amstel River with expansive countryside behind.

Today's ride: 61 km (38 miles)
Total: 2,105 km (1,307 miles)

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Karen PoretSuch a joy! Thank you for sharing all of your experiences and photos with us.
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