Cycle through the beauty of the Vecht region

The beauty of the Vecht region is the result of good cooperation between man and nature. Old country estates, imposing castles, historic country estates and the many beautiful gardens. Nowhere else in the Netherlands can the legacy of the Golden Age be better reflected here in Het Gooi. Many watercourses, which can be traced back to the river Vecht, result in a great diversity of greenery. That is the Vechtstreek at its best! The lakes have a great attraction for both recreationists and nature lovers. The river Vecht originated around 600 BC and was called'Fectio\\\' in Roman times. In the Middle Ages, the Vecht was a shipping connection between (the predecessor of) the Zuiderzee and the river Rhine. This important connection made the river part of the Dutch Waterline. In the Golden (seventeenth) century, the area really came to fruition with the construction of the beautiful country houses along the river. Explore part of the 135 kilometer long defense line on the Amstel, in the province of Utrecht: the Defense Line of Amsterdam. The idea shows the typical Dutch hydraulic engineering ingenuity for which our country is known: with an ingenious system, the land around the line could be flooded. This created a pond that was not deep enough for ships, but too deep for man and horse. The position has never had to be in active service; the menacing effect it emanated was sufficient to prevent hostilities. In 1914, the Defense Line of Amsterdam, together with the New Dutch Waterline, prompted the Germans not to invade the Netherlands. The entire water line, on which a total of 45 forts were built and which was constructed from 1880 to 1920, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 2005, the wetland area has also been declared a National Landscape because of the beautiful coherence of forts, dikes, canals, inundation basins and the quiet, green, but open character. Already after 5.5 km the first imposing castle appears, situated in a beautiful park forest. Gunterstein is an independent fortified building from the Middle Ages. At that time it was good to defend. For generations it has been inhabited by the noble families of the Netherlands. Within 10 minutes you are at the next castle. Castle Oudaen is also an independent fortified building from the Middle Ages. The moat around the structure made it easy to defend. The bike ride reveals a well-kept secret: Kasteel Loenersloot. Beautifully restored complexes such as the historic main house and donjon are beautifully situated on a castle island. If you discuss in advance, a guided tour is possible.