Amsterdam by bike and its polders, 4-day trip in Holland

You can make a short trip around the city center to soak up the very special atmosphere of Amsterdam. Cycle along the Amstel to the  picturesque village of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. The famous painter Rembrandt loved walking along the banks of the river and made many drawings and engravings of the Amstel country. Then return to Amsterdam on the other side and discover the country villas built by wealthy Amsterdam bourgeois in the 17th and 18th centuries.

Cross Amsterdam city center to reach Lake IJssel, a former estuary located behind the central station and take a ferry to cross it. On the other side of the IJ, you leave the city and arrive in the Waterland region and its marshy meadows crossed by canals and streams. Many birds have taken up residence there. Drive through the villages of Durgerdam and Uitdam, which once were still on the banks of the Zuiderzee, a gulf of the North Sea today transformed into a lake thanks to the polders. Admire the typical pastel-colored wooden houses before returning to Amsterdam along the Noordhollands canal.

Cycle along the banks of the Amstel and the Waver through the magnificent polders to reach the fortified town of Weesp. Follow the meandering River Vecht until you arrive in Muiden, where you can also see the medieval Muiderslot Castle. Following the shores of Lake IJ you arrive at IJburg, a new district of Amsterdam, built on artificial islands. Cross the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal to return to the city center, passing through neighbourhoods built in the 19th century with a rich architectural heritage.

Cycle along the Amstel to the picturesque village of Ouderkerk aan de Amstel. The famous painter Rembrandt loved to stroll along the river and made many sketches and etchings of Amstelland. On your way back to Amsterdam, cycle across to the other side and admire the country houses built in the 17th and 18th centuries by wealthy Amsterdammers.