Lage Vuursche, Ankeveen, Breukelen

In the surroundings of Baarn and Lage Vuursche, you mainly cycle through the woods, but once you're out of the woods, there's the fantastic open water of the Vechtplassen. This water area consists of the Ankeveense, Loosdrechtse and Tienhovense Lakes.

We take you to Ankeveen and the Ankeveense Lakes. These lakes are characterised by a maze of small islands, ditches, marshy woodland and open water. The islands used to be the legacies of the peat labourers. They laid the dug out peat to dry on these narrow strips of land.

The Loosdrechtse Lakes is the largest of the lakes and one of the best known. Water sports and other water recreation are common here. Yet there are also places of peace and quiet in the Loosdrechtse Plassen. If you like nature, you will enjoy Vuntus (between junctions 05 and 07) and the Breukeleveense Lake (between junctions 27 and 49) even more. The water at Vuntus is very clean and nutrient-poor, allowing many aquatic plants to grow. The Breukeleveense Lake is also called the Silent Lake. Its tranquillity makes it a fine home for the colony of purple herons that nest here.

From the Silent Lake, the area changes into the Tienhovense Lakes. From here you are already at the foot of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. The Tienhovense Lakes is the perfect combination of all lakes: it is an oasis of peace and quiet and it has clean water, so you can see rare plants and animals. Another characteristic of these lakes is that the transition from peat soil to sand soil begins here. There are archaeological finds from this area that show that it was already inhabited thousands of years ago. The Vredevoetpad is an excellent way to experience nature and culture.

The cycle route makes you feel completely at one with nature. However, you will also pass through a number of lovely villages, where you can take a well-deserved break and admire various castles and museums.