Mills and polders between Alkmaar and Uitgeest

You start in Heiloo at Oesdom coffee & shop. You are most welcome here for a drink and a bite to eat after you have finished cycling. Via Heiloo you cycle through the typical Dutch landscape. Along the way you will come across various mills. Then you cycle around the Alkmaardermeer, a recreational area for water sports. The lake was originally peat area created from swamp. That peat was dug up in the Middle Ages and ditches drained the excess water. Due to drying out and subsidence, entire pieces of land could wash away during storms and high water, creating the lake. After some time you cycle past Fort Marken-Binnen, which is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam. The fort used to have room for 300 soldiers. Via Uitgeest and Castricum you continue the route back to Heiloo.