Round Staphorst

We start the cycle route in Staphorst at junction 72. What is striking about Staphorst are the (bright) green shutters in combination with (bright) blue window frames. In Staphorst there are still quite a few women dressed in traditional costumes. Since 1937, the General Local Ordinance has stated that it is prohibited to "photograph someone on or near the road without their permission". The community of Staphorst is known as one of the most ecclesiastical in the Netherlands and is fairly closed in character. In 1971, Staphorst was world news because of an outbreak of polio (infantile paralysis). Several residents did not want their children to be vaccinated against this viral disease for religious reasons. A gradually increasing source of income is tourism, especially in the summer months. To this end, the Staphorst Days are held on three consecutive Wednesdays in July and August. During these days there are demonstrations of old crafts. From Staphorst we cycle through the Staphorst Staatsbos. Deer, badgers, squirrels, long-eared owls and vipers live here in the wild. In the middle of the forest is the relatively shallow recreational pond De Zwarte Dennen. We cycle further towards Nieuwleusen. In Nieuwleusen-Noord there are the old and new Hulsterplas, two large connected ponds that were dredged between the 1960s and 1980s. From Nieuwleusen we cycle via Rouveen back to Staphorst, which is also our end point of this cycle route.