Cycling around the Oostvaardersplassen

A trip around the Oostvaardersplassen means undisturbed enjoyment of 'wilderness' in all its glory. This cycle route takes you past swamps and areas with willows and elder trees that, with a little imagination, you can see as savannahs. From the bird hides you can spot marsh birds and from the lookout points around the area you can also view large grazers.

Cycling below sea level
This route starts in the lowest part of the polder, no less than four meters below sea level. In this open swamp area you will find all kinds of plants and animals that live here without human interference. From the starting point you cycle along the Hollandse Hout, a forest area at the bottom of the former Zuiderzee. A little further on the cycle path ends at the Lage Vaart. Here you will see a high hump on the left that you can climb to enjoy a panoramic view of the flat polder land.

Natural grazing
Via the Praamweg viaduct you can then have a good view of the drier part of the Oostvaardersplassen. About three thousand red deer, Konik horses and Heck cattle graze the open area here. This ensures that a wide variety of plants and animals can live here. In addition to the grazers, you will probably also see many birds near the Oostvaardersplassen.

Bird watching around the Oostvaardersplassen
Bird watchers from all over the world come to the Oostvaardersplassen to spot special birds. For example, the impressive white-tailed eagle has been breeding in this area for a few years now. In the summer you often see dozens of spoonbills resting at the Oostvaardersplassen and in the winter tens of thousands of greylag geese frequent this area, which is estimated at more than eighty percent of the global geese population. Opposite the Buizerdweg exit, to the right of the dike is the access path to the Greylag Goose, the most visited bird hide in the Netherlands.