Cycle through the beauty of the Vecht region

The beauty of the Vecht region is the result of a good collaboration between man and nature. Old estates, impressive castles, historic country estates and many beautiful gardens. Nowhere else in the Netherlands is the legacy of the Golden Age better reflected here in the Gooi. Many watercourses, which can be traced back to the river Vecht, result in a great diversity of greenery. That is the Vecht region at its best! The lakes have a great attraction for both recreationists and nature lovers. The river Vecht was formed 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. Because of this important connection, the river was part of the Dutch Waterline. In the Golden (seventeenth) Century, the area really flourished with the construction of the beautiful country estates along the river. Explore part of the 135 kilometre long defence line on the Amstel, in the province of Utrecht: the Defence 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 body of water that was not deep enough for ships, but too deep for men and horses. The defence line never had to be used actively; the threatening effect it emanated was enough to prevent hostilities. In 1914, the Defence Line of Amsterdam, together with the New Dutch Waterline, was reason for the Germans not to invade the Netherlands. The entire waterline, on which a total of 45 forts were built and which was constructed between 1880 and 1920, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Since 2005, the water-rich 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. After just 5.5 km, the first impressive castle appears, situated in a beautiful park forest. Gunterstein is an independent fortified building from the Middle Ages. At that time, it was easy to defend. For generations, it has been inhabited by the noble families of the Netherlands. Within 10 minutes, you will be at the next castle. Oudaen Castle is also an independent fortified building from the Middle Ages. The moat around the building ensured that it was easy to defend. The bike tour reveals a well-kept secret: Loenersloot Castle. Beautifully restored complexes such as the historic main house and keep are beautifully situated on a castle island. If you book in advance, a guided tour is possible.