Cycle through the beauty of the Vecht region

The beauty of the Vecht region results from a good collaboration between people and nature. Old estates, imposing 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 Vechtstreek at its best! The lakes have a great appeal to 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 flourished with the construction of beautiful country estates 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: an ingenious system allowed the land around the line to be flooded. This created a pool of water that was not deep enough for ships, but too deep for men and horses. The position has never had to be in active service; the threatening effect it posed 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 waterline, which included a total of 45 forts and 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 due to the beautiful coherence of forts, dikes, canals, inundation basins and the quiet, green, but open character. After only 5.5 km the first imposing castle appears, located in a beautiful park forest. Gunterstein is an independent fortified building from the Middle Ages. At that time it was easy to defend. It has been inhabited by the noble families of the Netherlands for generations. You will be at the next castle within 10 minutes. Oudaen Castle is also an independent fortified structure from the Middle Ages. The moat around the structure made it 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. A guided tour is possible if you discuss in advance.