During this bike ride, experience the diversity of the landscape in Gaasterland. Cycle through forests, meadows, villages, and the historic town. But also along lakes, canals, and the IJsselmeer.

Directions

Information for on the way

UNESCO World Heritage Ir. D.F. Woudagemaal is the largest still functioning steam pumping station in the world. A magnificent experience of steam, architecture, and water. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1998 and is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2020!.

You can visit this beautiful Cathedral of Steam 6 days a week (7 days a week in July and August). You can find more information and the exact opening times on the website.

The Prinses Margrietkanaal was constructed in the 1930s and is part of the main shipping route Lemmer – Delfzijl. The Prinses Margrietsluis was opened in 1952 and is suitable for commercial and recreational navigation to and from the IJsselmeer.

The town Sloten is the smallest of the Frisian Eleven Cities. It is a fortified town with bastions, gates, monumental merchant houses, and a corn mill. Sloten is also referred to as “sipelstêd” (sipel is Frisian for onion) due to its unique shape resembling an onion.

The Slotermeer is one of the largest Frisian lakes and forms the link between the lakes area and Gaasterland.

In the church of the village Wijckel lies the tomb of military engineer Menno van Coehoorn. Behind the church is the Coehoornbos named after him, where his country house Meerestein once stood, which was demolished in 1811.

The Bargebek, a hamlet near Wijckel, originated at the country estate Jagtlust. The area around takes the shape of a pig's snout, hence the name Bargebek.

The village Balk is mainly known for the Elfstedentocht, as the skaters glide over the river Luts right through the center of Balk. In the summer, it is a cozy water sports village, with boats, shops, and terraces. The historic center is a protected village view.

The Fluezen is the longest lake in Friesland, very popular among sailors.

The Famkes van Kolderwolde: Statue route along the road in Kolderwolde. Eleven statues of mainly voluminous ladies, made by Evert van Hemert, who lives in Kolderwolde. When he moved here as an outsider, he immediately donated a small statue to the municipality. "Just as a thank you," Van Hemert explains. "I was happy to be able to live and work in Kolderwolde. They liked it so much that I got the whimsical idea for a kind of statue route in Kolderwolde. I proposed to the municipality to make eleven 'Famkes van Kolderwolde', which they would buy from me and place along two roads in the hamlet. They immediately agreed."

Why eleven, actually? Van Hemert: "Eleven is a number that fits with craziness, with silliness, hence."

The rolling landscape of Gaasterland was formed in the penultimate ice age and features a lot of variation with forests, pastures, heath, water, polders, and cliffs. Centuries ago, the area was already popular with the nobility, and nowadays it is especially visited by tourists in the summer.

There are 3 cliffs in Gaasterland, which are remnants of a glacial tongue from the penultimate ice age. The high cliff edges were formed by erosion during the time of the Zuiderzee. The Mirnser Klif is still reasonably intact. You can swim, wade, and kite surf here.

The cozy brink village Oudemirdum has many terraces, dining options, and a hotel. You can also find the Visitor Center “Mar en Klif” where the formation of this unique landscape is explained.

The Bremer wilderness is a 58-hectare nature reserve and has been owned by Staatsbosbeheer since 1976. There are two known versions of the origin of the name: either it is called Bremerwildernis because many broom bushes grew here in the past, or it is named after farmer Jacob Jans Bremer.

The nature reserve Sondeler leijen consists of a lake, meadow, shrubland, reed fields, and a small forest area. The ancient lake probably dates back to the 14th century and was formed by a d...