Cycling route from Groot-Ammers to Kinderdijk

The environment you cycle through during this cycle route fully matches the picture of the Netherlands as people all over the world imagine the Netherlands, grazing animals on vast meadows, ditches, mills and a church tower in the distance. Enjoy the wonderful rural tranquility. Of course, a visit to the world-famous windmills of Kinderdijk, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, cannot be missed. You also pass a few special villages. Take Schoonhoven for example. The town has existed since 1322 and is the National Silver City. They owe their name to the Gold and Silversmith's Guild that was founded here by a number of blacksmiths in 1629. Trade flourished and in the centuries that followed, no fewer than 40 of the residents were directly employed in the gold and silver sector. In the streets of Schoonhoven you can still see monumental silver workshops, old silversmiths' houses and more than thirty galleries, jewelers and studios that exhibit the most beautiful silver jewelry and works of art. Groot-Ammers was mentioned for the first time in the year 1042. At that time, Slot Liesvelt was one of the largest and strongest castles in the Netherlands. The castle had to be demolished in 1740, but the stable building has still been preserved. This now serves as a courtroom. Groot-Ammers became known around 1900 for its large cheese trade. You can see this in the cheese warehouses in the village. You can also know Groot-Ammers as a stork village. When the numbers of storks in the Netherlands were bad, storks were imported for breeding. That happened here in this village. This is how the Stork Village Het Liesvelt was created. Het Liesvelt has now become a regional center. Start your cycling route at TOP Tourist Transfer Point Alblasserdam at junction 01. There are parking spaces where you can park your car if necessary.