In March, I wanted to go cycling in Northern Ireland. Rain and cold? Ideal for my mental resilience, I thought; those challenges make it great in hindsight. I told my father about the idea and he wanted to join. I used to always go on cycling holidays with my parents, but this was our first trip together in a long time.

Our route started at Belfast airport and we cycled over fields and hills to Derry to make a loop from there. On the second day, we rode via Letterkenny to Gortahork, partly along the coast on gravel roads and through bogs, forests, and lakes. Then we continued to Ardara, a historic village with many cafés, pubs, and hotels. The route to Donegal was also worth it because there was hardly any development. On the fifth day, we cycled back to Derry to take the train to Belfast from there.

Sara van Vliet in De Standaard
The 5 most beautiful European routes according to experienced cycle travelers: “When you cycle, you don't just see a country. You taste it.”