Cycling around the IJsselmeer

This route takes you for a beautiful day along the IJsselmeer. You drive along the coast of Southwest Friesland, over the Afsluitdijk and through the North Holland region of Westfriesland.

Ferry Enkhuizen
From the harbor in Stavoren you can take the ferry to Enkhuizen. This ferry service has been in existence since 1886, when the IJsselmeer was still called the Zuiderzee. See www.veerboot.info for information about the ferry service. In Enkhuizen you will find marinas, the Zuiderzee Museum and lots of fun. The picturesque center is intersected by canals and enclosed by a well-preserved sixteenth-century rampart. At the old harbor you can see the Drommedaris, the sixteenth-century southern gateway to Enkhuizen.

About the Afsluitdijk
You cycle through the West Frisian polder to Hoorn and Medemblik, two beautiful historic cities. Port towns. Along the way you will pass through the picturesque Twisk, which has a high concentration of authentic bell-shaped farms. The large village church dates from the fourteenth century. In Den Oever, which is located on the former island of Wieringen, you will see the former lighthouse from 1884. A little later you will cycle onto the Afsluitdijk. A true experience.

Historical Medemblik
Medemblik received city rights from Count Floris V in 1289. The town grew into a prosperous port city. You can still see this rich history in the many beautiful facades, but also in Radboud Castle, which is located on the eastern harbor. Only two residential wings of this thirteenth-century castle can be admired. In 1939, Rembrandt's The Night Watch was temporarily brought to safety in this castle, before it was moved to a bunker in the dunes near Castricum in May 1940.