Bloemendaal, Zandvoort and the dunes

The ruins of Brederode Castle are the remains of the castle that was built in the second half of the 13th century by Willem I of Brederode. After many centuries of alternating decay, destruction, recovery and reconstruction, during which the castle was the scene of battle, siege and plunder many times, it was restored as a ruin in the 19th century. It was the Netherlands' first national monument.

The dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park are a wonderful place to get a breath of fresh air. You will find rare flora and fauna in the young, calcareous dunes. Within the first row of dunes the water is brackish: sweet-salt. This means that special, adapted plants such as Parnassia, orchids, sea bindweed and sea thistle grow there. In the moist dune valleys further inland, centaury and slender gentian grow. The sand lizard and the natterjack toad feel very much at home there and it is a beautiful area to take a deep breath of the sea air.

At the popular Bloemendaal aan Zee you will find seven summer beach pavilions: for those who want to relax with a drink in hand and the sand between their toes. The ride then leads along the boulevard and along the Formula 1 racing circuit to Zandvoort.

The dune area of the Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes provides the city of Amsterdam with drinking water. Water has been extracted in this oldest water extraction area in the Netherlands since 1853. You can't cycle there, but for those who want to leave the bike behind for a while, it is a wonderful walking area.

You cycle around the Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes and then through the bulb fields west of Lisse. The impressive display of colors of the bulb fields attracts thousands of tourists every year. Each bulb has its own flowering period, but anyone who cycles here between mid-March and mid-May can certainly enjoy the dazzling display of colour.