Pieterpad by bike = the “Cyclists’ Trail”
For over forty years, hikers have been cheerfully choosing the Pieterpad. “And we're not going home yet...” A route that shows them the most beautiful parts of the Netherlands while humming along. Cyclists were left envious. Until recently, because Happy Cycling Holidays now also offers the Pieterpad route by bike, often over smooth tarmac and with the same experience from north to south.
Bus transfer
This year we are offering an extra service for this cycling holiday: a bus transfer from Maastricht to Pieterburen. When you arrive in Maastricht but your car is still in Pieterburen, no worries. Our minibus will take you back to the starting point hassle free, including your luggage and bike. But that’s not all. Do you live south of the rivers? Then you can also board in Maastricht and be dropped off at the starting point. On the way we make a stopover in Almen, so you can split the Pieterpad cycling holiday into two parts if you wish. It’s a convenient way to enjoy the Pieterpad route without worrying about logistics.
Cycling through Drenthe
Meditation starts automatically in Drenthe. As soon as you get on the saddle, a sense of total relaxation washes over you. Not surprising in a province where time doesn’t seem to have a grip on modern day life. Cycling from Assen to Coevorden, the second stage of this Cyclists’ Path, we experience the primal charm of Drenthe. According to the dictionary, “primal” is a prefix that amplifies the meaning of the word. Primal power is therefore more than just power. “Oer” stands for something robust and authentic. That is why Drenthe proudly presents itself as the primal province of the Netherlands. You cycle through landscapes so natural it feels like no human hand has ever touched them. Places where past and present blend effortlessly.
Over the Sallandse Heuvelrug
Just after Hardenberg, the village of Rheeze reminds us of the picturesque places we saw earlier in Drenthe. Beautiful and newly thatched roofs here too. Then follow Ommen, Lemelerveld and the idyllic Hellendoorn. Besides the bakery and ice cream museum (the world famous rocket ice creams come from here), this town also offers a National Park. This is where the Sallandse Heuvelrug begins. After conquering the Holterberg, we descend briskly. At Holten, we leave the hills behind and continue on to Lochem and Almen, the end of the fourth stage. Luckily, there are still five more to go.
Heavenly ice cream at Helpoort
The Pietersberg is in sight. In Maastricht, get off at the Helpoort, part of the first city wall built around 1230. Today it is Maastricht’s only remaining gate and the oldest city gate in the Netherlands. If you’re lucky, a truck with heavenly ice cream will be waiting for you after this Helpoort.
The Cyclists’ Path closely follows the famous Pieterpad route, from Pieterburen to Maastricht. You can cover the approximately 500 km on foot, but you can also see the best of the Netherlands by bike. And all of that in just nine stages. This Pieterpad cycling holiday can be done in one go over 11 days, or it can be split in two into six and or seven days.
