Telegraaf cycle route: 't Gooi surprisingly green

It is surprising that in the heavily populated Gooi, with Bussum and Hilversum as major towns, there is room for so much nature. The impressively large Hilversum heath. The Spanderswoud, with forest and heath. Those beautiful's-Graveland country estates and the Zanderij Crailo Nature Bridge, which makes a wildlife connection with the Bussumerheide. During our cycle tour, only Scottish Highlanders appear, and they don't spare us a glance as we pass them on the cycle path. They are impressive, with their long horns and enormous size. They are friendly, but be careful if you want to pet them. Hidden From the forest and heath we dive into the polder. First past houses in the new Hilversumse Meent district. This doesn't exactly feel like'the middle of nowhere\\\'. The horizon pollution is too great for that. No trace of the Naardermeer. The nature reserve, which was the first to be incorporated by the Natuurmomenten association, is hidden behind the bushes. We encounter a headwind on the open part of the polder. Electricity pylons can be seen on the horizon and there is a highway to our left. Gin distilleries The more recent past is easier to see. Weesp was founded around the year 1150 with the name Wispe or Wesopa. From the terrace we look out over one of the bastions that were once of strategic importance in times of war. It was partly thanks to Emperor Charles V that Weesp became a prosperous city. Think of gin distilleries and cocoa production. There are still many protected national monuments. Nature bridge The nature bridge at the Zanderij Crailoo nature reserve was opened in 2006 by the then Queen Beatrix. The bridge connects the Spanderswoud with the Bussumerheide and goes over the Naarderweg and the parallel track and the Rail Pro business park. With a length of 800 meters and a width of 50, the bridge is the largest ecoduct in the world. The project cost 14.7 million euros. The bridge was not only built for animals, there is also a cycle path and a bridleway across it, which is used by an average of 3,000 runners, cyclists and horse riders per week. The ecoduct is part of the'Heel de Heuvelrug\\\' program, which aims to make the Utrechtse Heuvelrug from Rhenen to Naarden a continuous whole. Naardermeer At the beginning of the last century, the Amsterdam municipal council wanted to turn the Naardermeer into a rubbish dump. Teacher and biologist Jac. P. Thijsse and his colleague, friend and co-author Eli Heimans then decided in 1905 to establish the Association for the Preservation of Natural Monuments and to take over the Naardermeer, which belonged to the Rutgers van Rozenburg family. The purchase was concluded in 1906, after bonds had been issued. With the sale of reeds and the proceeds from fishing, the Naardermeer raised enough money to pay off the loan. Natuurmonumenten now manages 355 areas.