Cycling route South Flevoland and Horsterwold
Cycle through a young polder landscape with expansive water views, reed-lined shores, and an impressive deciduous forest that feels unexpectedly wild.
The Landscape
South Flevoland is the fourth and, for now, the last polder created as part of the Zuiderzee Works. In 1968, the area was reclaimed, giving rise to a carefully planned landscape of straight roads, broad drainage canals, and open parcels, with wide views that change color with the seasons. At the same time, this is a polder where water and nature are always close at hand, with the Markermeer to the northwest and the Randmeren along the eastern and southern edges forming a clear and defining frame around the new land.
A highlight of this route is the Horsterwold near Zeewolde, one of the largest contiguous deciduous forests in the Netherlands. Established on former seabed, it shows how quickly an area can develop into a mature natural landscape. You cycle through varied woodland sections with poplars, willows, and alders, passing open grasslands, wetland zones, and creeks. In the Stille Kern area, nature is given plenty of space, with chances to spot Konik horses, red deer, foxes, and a wide variety of birds.
What You’ll Discover Along the Way
Between Zeewolde and Almere, you cycle through the Horsterwold along long forest trails, quiet lanes, and a lush green setting that naturally settles your pace into a steady rhythm. Along the edges, open clearings, rougher vegetation, and damp woodland margins add variety, giving the forest a different atmosphere at every turn.
Beyond the forest, the polder landscape opens up once more. Straight roads run past fields, canals, and modern farmsteads, with tree-lined avenues and dikes forming clean lines across the landscape, allowing you to cover the miles with an ever-present sense of horizon.
Along the Nijkerkernauw and the Nuldernauw, you cycle along dikes and shores with views over open water, reed beds, beaches, and sailing boats. The light reflecting off the water gives the route a fresh, vibrant character, offering ever-changing panoramas, especially where land and water meet.
Ride along with us on this virtual bike tour
With this virtual cycling route, you can experience from home the contrast between clean polder lines and the rugged, semi-wild nature of the Horsterwold. Ideal for steady training on a home trainer, exploring the surroundings in advance, or simply enjoying a ride that feels like being outdoors.
Along the way, expansive water views along the Randmeren alternate with forested stretches, ensuring the ride never feels monotonous. You gain a clear sense of the young Flevoland landscape, where space, greenery, and water are ever-present features of every kilometer.
Want to learn more about virtual cycling? THIS IS HOW VIRTUAL CYCLING WORKS
Route map and cycling junctions
Start and finish near cycling junction 77 on the Groenewoudse Weg in Zeewolde. Because this is a circular route, you can also start at one of the other cycling junctions along the route.
Distance: 47 km
Estimated riding time: 3 hours 8 minutes
Elevation gain: 13 m
Paved roads: 97%
Unpaved / semi-paved: 3%
Ideal for: e-bikes and city bikes
Along the way: several options for a coffee break or lunch.
