Water Trail

(46,0 km)

Starting from Amsterdam, you will be surprised at how suddenly the city becomes countryside. After just half an hour you can already see the vast horizons of Waterland looming.

Don’t worry about cycling too many kilometers through unattractive suburbs, enjoy a delightful ferry boat ride then linger enjoyably in an increasingly trendy Amsterdam North. Travel clockwise from the junction 36, and be immediately awestruck by the natural wonders of the Ilperveld. Hundreds of islands, ditches, lakes, reed beds and fields of grazing cows and sheep give you the feeling you have travelled not only in distance but also back in time. Because the Ilperveld looks the same now as it did a century ago.

Travel anticlockwise, through Broek in Waterland and explore the banks of the Gouwzee and enjoy the view of Marken. For a long time, the inhabitants of this former island had to defend themselves against a whimsical Zuiderzee. Yards were raised and houses built on stilts. With the coming of the Afsluitdijk things became much calmer here. Luckily, the characteristic dwellings and traditional costumes have remained. Monnickendam town centre has not changed much since the eighteenth century. The beautiful historical town has numerous monuments with elaborate plaques that are a direct reference to the booming trade that once brought prosperity to the city

How it works
You cycle the trail with the help of the so-called junction system. A junction is a uniquely numbered spot where two cycle paths cross each other. The trails in this book are set out on the basis of these numbers. The only thing you have to do is follow the numbers in the sequence in which they are presented. You can recognise the junctions by the green and white signs along the way.

You can rent a bike at Starbikes Rental.

From the bicycle rental to the first junction
Take a left turn and cycle in the direction of the station. At the end of the street turn right and cross the road. Turn left in the direction of the station again. Stop behind the station at the Buiksloterwegveer (ferry). Take the Buiksloterwegveer (ferry) and cross the IJ. Then follow the signs in the
direction of junction 36.