Cycling holiday route in the countryside. Drenthe, Netherlands

More information: http://hembrowcyclingholidays.com

Drenthe is the cycling province of the Netherlands, and a wonderful place to cycle. There are thousands of kilometres of hard cycle path in this area, both the direct routes used daily by everyone and the recreational cycle paths that you see in this video.

Cycling here is an almost entirely traffic free experience. There are more cyclists here and fewer cars to deal with than anywhere else in the world. All cafes, restaurants, museums and other destinations expect cyclists.

Yesterday we went for a 60 km ride through the beautiful countryside in Drenthe, planning a cycling holiday route. We live in Assen, capital of the province of Drenthe, where 41% of all journeys are made by bicycle. In the summer it's higher still. Our holidays are based in the city, and our routes extend in all directions out into the countryside as you see in this video. There are many interesting places to visit along the way.

http://www.dutchbikebits.com
http://hembrow.eu/blog

The music is the Frisco Jazz Band with "All I need is just a girl like you" from 1918, Harry Raderman's Jazz Orchestra playing "Cherie" in 1921 and John J. Kimmel playing "American polka" in 1908.

All the music can be downloaded from the Cylinder Preservation and Digitization project: http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/index.php

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• assen
• drenthe
• fietspad
• cycling
• netherlands
• holland
• bicycle
• holiday

[MelloVEL0]

Here in the Fens it's so similar to Holland (even some of the buildings by the Dutch that helped drain the fens) It would be the perfect place to have more of those type tracks linking the villages, there is still a lot of old disused railway lines still separating fields that would be perfect, I'd rather cycle on tracks like yours than the 60mph(+) roads I have to between towns & villages. Definitely more civilised!

[DavidHembrow]

Thanks for the reminder. We used to live in Cambridge, and my in-laws are in Lincolnshire, so I know the fens well.

[nancysloper]

Wonderful, I've been watching the Eneco cycling tour on tv, and seeing all the wonderful cycle-facilities at the sides of each road - we be sure jealous of you lot!! Thanks for these films, puts England and the National Cycle route to shame!

[andrew097]

Its a nice way to see the countryside. In a car you're too low down and you dont really have the chance to look out the window.

Of course nice comfortable bikes, Very important.

[MewFushisDad]

Great video David.

Judy was flying along on her bike.

I live in a tourist destination and we don't get as many cyclists as I see in your video.

I am considered an oddity more than the norm for all the cycling I do solo and with my children.

My daughter and I went to do our grocery shopping yesterday. Filled two large panniers. There were dozens and dozens of cars in the parking lot at the grocers and the two of us on a tandem.

You live in a far more civilized country than I.