Castle route Maarssen
This cycle route starts at the wonderful Slot Zuylen and leads you to the largest castle in the Netherlands: Kasteel de Haar. On the way, you will pass polders that were dug down for peat, beautiful old polder mills, a part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie and imposing country estates along the Vecht.
Slot Zuylen
Slot Zuylen on the river Vecht is the starting point of this route and immediately a very interesting place: inside the castle you can hear exciting stories via a listening tour, and there are also enthusiastic volunteers who know a lot about the history. For instance, there used to be a keep (residential tower) here, but it was demolished by angry Utrechters.
Years later, in 1525, this beautiful...
This cycle route starts at the wonderful Slot Zuylen and leads you to the largest castle in the Netherlands: Kasteel de Haar. On the way, you will pass polders that were dug down for peat, beautiful old polder mills, a part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie and imposing country estates along the Vecht.
Slot Zuylen
Slot Zuylen on the river Vecht is the starting point of this route and immediately a very interesting place: inside the castle you can hear exciting stories via a listening tour, and there are also enthusiastic volunteers who know a lot about the history. For instance, there used to be a keep (residential tower) here, but it was demolished by angry Utrechters.
Years later, in 1525, a castle was built on this beautiful spot, providing a safe haven and employment for local residents. In the halls, you can still admire the beautiful interiors such as furniture, mirrors and crockery. A highlight is the Gobelin Room, where animals are embroidered on the tapestry with silk thread. You can also take a lovely stroll through the gardens, especially at this time of year.
Cycling through the polders
North of Oud Zuylen, you cycle out of the village towards the polders of Maarsseveen. As this was a marshy area, there used to be many windmills here and two of them fortunately remained. The mills of polder Westbroek and Buitenweg stand on the Nedereindse Vaart, which used to be crossed by peat ships. Every Wednesday and Saturday you can take a look at the mills.
Not far away from the windmills is the recreational area Maarsseveense plassen. On a nice day, the area attracts many bathers who enjoy the beach, come for a round of canoeing or visit the adjacent sauna. There are also many hikers on their feet who take a walk around the moor.
The New Dutch Waterline
You continue cycling towards the east, where Fort de Gagel and several other bunkers are a tangible reminder of the time when we still had to defend ourselves against enemies from the south and east. Around the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie you will find a lot of greenery, which makes it a great place for recreation. The flowers are in bloom and the birds are singing, some of them already have young. May really is the most beautiful cycling month!
In the distance, the large church and mill of Westbroek can already be seen. Near the mill is a shop where you can buy baking flour, among other things, but you can also settle down for a hot drink. Via Tienhoven, you cycle a bit along the Loosdrecht lakes, but you don't see much of that from the cycle path behind the dyke. There are polders, farms and further on a fort, covered in greenery, that you would almost cycle past if you were so relaxed by the peaceful surroundings.
Castles along the Vecht
Further along is the river Vecht, which winds like a thread through this cycling tour. Through the trees, you can occasionally catch a glimpse of the beautiful country houses once built here by wealthy Amsterdammers. One of the eye-catchers is Nijenrode Castle. The stately building has a gate and two drawbridges, and the gold-and-red family crest from 1275 still adorns the castle's shutters.
Further on is Breukelen, where the Kerkbrink is a great place to be. The many terraces are packed with people who have ordered coffee and pastries, or a sumptuous lunch. Take a break and then cycle through meadows and nature reserves to Kasteel de Haar.
Kasteel de Haar
A castle has stood on this spot for 900 years, but a lot has happened in the meantime. There have been knight fights, weddings, campaigns, people were held prisoner, parties were organised and the castle was razed to the ground and rebuilt from time to time. The current Kasteel de Haar was rebuilt at the end of the 19th century and it became an absolutely beautiful and impressive castle!
The imposing high hall, which used to be a courtyard, is reminiscent of a cathedral with its stained-glass windows and statues of ancestors. What a welcome! Around it are all kinds of rooms in different styles. People ate, danced, lounged and modernised to impress guests. One of the special features is a Turkish bath, hot water and a passenger lift. The castle and its gardens are beautiful and a visit is really a must if you are in the area!
Then you cycle through a protected area of Natuurmonumenten, where hares hop in the meadow and ducks paddle across. You can visit the beach of the Haarrijnse lake for a closing drink. From there, it is just under half an hour to the starting point at Slot Zuylen on the river Vecht.
Route description
The cycle route starts at Slot Zuylen. There are several free parking spaces in Oud-Zuylen. Right next to the castle is also a car park, which costs €7.50 per day.
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Description
The route follows the nodes on the white-green signs of the cycle route network. A convenient place to start the route is at Slot Zuylen.
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