Route Netherlands

The Netherlands can justifiably be called the “mother” of bicycle regions.

The Dutch section of the R1 is formed by two national routes, the LF1 and the LF4. The LF4 continues the route from the German-Dutch border in a westerly direction.

Beginning at the Dutch border in the east, the cyclist finds region which is loved for its variety and the many castles and palaces it has to offer.

After crossing the river Ijssel, a tributary of the Rhine, the LF4 reaches the Veluwe National Park, the largest and best known national park in the Netherlands.

It is characterized by large, dense forests, fields of grass, and even some small hill ranges. In the middle of the national park, this idyllic landscape is interrupted by the town of Arnhem on the Lower Rhine. Shortly after leaving the Veluwe National Park, the landscape opens up briefly, before reverting to dense forestation in the Province of Utrecht, which also has many country homes and castles. The end of the LF4, (or for those going in the other directions its beginning) is at Den Haag. The LF4 then joins up with the LF1, the so-called North Sea Route.

This links the town of Den Helder in the north with Sluis on the border to Belgium/Flanders in the south of the Netherlands.

This cycle route is a favourite because it passes through a unique coastal landscape with dunes and some national parks.