Oud-Zuilen, Breukelen, Kockengen, Haarzuilens, Maarssen

Two beautiful castle museums combined in an interesting and varied cycle route; what could be better? The tour starts and ends at Zuylen Castle. This castle is home to an intimate, aristocratic 18th-century collection that is well worth a visit. The writer Belle van Zuylen was born and raised here. De Haar Castle is the largest castle in the Netherlands and exudes plenty of opulence and grandeur. De Haar was a popular destination for the European jet set in the 1970s, with guests like Roger Moore, Joan Collins and Brigitte Bardot. Both castles are part of the national castles and country estates storyline, which highlights the most beautiful castle museums and gardens. We also recommend enjoying a delicious soup made from vegetables fresh from Zuylen Castle’s own garden or have lunch at the Koetshuis de Haar - the museum café at De Haar Castle’s coach house.

The bike tour starts and ends in the historic town of Oud-Zuilen. After travelling through the polders for a bit, you quickly arrive at the centre of Breukelen where there are several cafés and restaurants. Next, the tour heads past the station and on to the open agricultural landscape of the Groene Hart region with farms, cattle and lovely views of the rural landscape. After cycling through the centre of the village of Kockengen, the route continues to De Haar Castle where you can relax in the park or take a tour of the castle. On the way back through the polders and once again past the station in Breukelen, the route ends up on the bank of the river Vecht, where you can experience the grandeur of the various country estates located along the final kilometres between Breukelen and Oud-Zuilen. From the 17th century onwards, this region was a lovely place for the extremely wealthy residents of Amsterdam to spend the summer months and escape the dirty and dusty city. You will pass several castles and estates along the route, including Ridderhofstad Gunterstein, Business University Nyenrode, the Goudestein Estate and the Doornburgh Estate.