Cycling along the river Vecht
A beautiful bikeride through a typical Dutch countryside
One of the most beautiful cycling routes in the Utrecht region follows the river Vecht. Each year I do a couple of biketours through this fascinating area. The whole Dutch history can be experienced in a nutshell while cycling through this lovely landscape.
Romans and Vikings
The Vecht is a more than 2000 year old river. Close to Utrecht it splitted from the river Rhine and flowed northwards. The Rhine used to be an important river that connected England to Rome. The Vecht on the other hand, was a main route to northern parts of Europe.
In 16 A.D. a Roman fleet composed of more than 1000 ships headed north to fight Germanic tribes in the upper parts of Germany. In 834 and 835 Vikings from Denmark and Sweden sailed south over the river Vecht to conquer, trade and plunder in Utrecht and the mainland of Europe.
Land reclamation and peat extraction
From the 10th century onwards monks started to reclaim land west of the river Vecht. In this period many castles were build on the river banks, to protect this strategic region between Utrecht and Amsterdam. Castle Zuylen is located just north of Utrecht and was home to the noble family van Zuylen. A lovely castle that once was the home of the famous Belle van Zuylen. A higly intelligent woman and freethinker, who was a feminist avant-la-lettre and famous for her quote ‘I have no talent for subordination.’
Due to 15th century population growth in the cities, the land located east of the river was next to be reclaimed. By draining this area and lowering the waterlevel, a think layer of organic soil dried up and naturally compressed. Locals discovered that the peat soil could be used as an excellent source of fuel. A real peat rush started off and some fortunes were made. Up to today the effects of this peat rush can be seen, as the lakes in this area are a direct result of peat extraction. Also the clay from the river Vecht proved to be well suited to bake bricks. Along the river Vecht potteries and brickfactories emerged to serve the housing needs of a growing population in Amsterdam and Utrecht.
Transformation during the Dutch Golden Age
In the 16th and 17th century wealthy merchants from Amsterdam started to build country houses along the river Vecht. This thoroughly transformed the area into a pleasure place. More than 100 mansions were build. Each year when spring started, families and their servants moved out of their city dwellings to spend a couple of months in a beautiful and prestigious environment.
Sadly enough, when the French invaded The Netherlands in 1672 the area around the Vecht was in the frontline. More than half of all these beautiful country houses were destroyed by the war. Still many impressive houses and castles can be found along the river Vecht. It is one of the great places to do a biketour in The Netherlands. A fascinating area where Dutch history comes alive.
Tip 1: A bicycle boat is navigating the river Vecht during the summer months. You can hop on at different stops and enjoy a beautiful boattrip while taking your bike with you.
Tip 2: Fort aan de Klop is one of the fortresses of The New Dutch Waterline. During the summer months this is a lovely place to have lunch or dinner, or just stop by for a drink.
Tip 3: Next to the river Vecht you will find some beautiful windmills. If you are lucky the miller is present and showes you around.
