Cycling routes in Friesland
Friesland’s cycling routes take you through a green, water-rich province known for its space and tranquillity. You’ll ride past wide meadows, through marshlands and quiet forests, and of course along the Frisian Lakes with their reed fringes and open water, with Gaasterland adding a surprisingly rolling highlight in the southwest. Along the way you’ll pass terp villages, historic towns, and old dikes that tell the story of Friesland. The Wadden coast and the vast polder landscape give many routes a distinctly Frisian feel, with sweeping views that never stop surprising, and the island of Terschelling as a coastal option of dunes, beaches, and wide-open space.
Cycling route Lage Midden and Sneekermeer area
Cycle through the Lage Midden region and the Sneekermeer area and experience the open, water-rich heart of Friesland. You’ll ride alongside lakes and canals, with flower-filled meadows, reed beds, and wetlands creating a calm atmosphere and excellent birdlife. Peat ponds, winding ditches, and long stretches of water keep the views changing along the way, making this route perfect if you enjoy wide horizons, waterways, and relaxed kilometres.
Cycling route Zuidoosthoek and Opsterland
Cycle through the Zuidoosthoek region and Opsterland and discover a historic landscape where small-scale scenery and open space blend beautifully. You’ll ride past attractive woodlands, heathland, and peaceful grasslands, with hedgerows and tree-lined avenues giving structure to the classic patchwork countryside. Old canals and straight waterways recall the era of land reclamation and provide clear landmarks, making this route an effortless mix of nature and history.
Cycling route Northeast Friesland and Wadden Sea
Cycle through Northeast Friesland towards the Wadden Sea and experience the wide-open terp landscape, with long sightlines across clay fields, ditches, and canals. You’ll ride along dikes and terp villages that give the countryside its distinctive structure, with a constant sense of space, wind, and big skies. Closer to the coast, the scenery becomes more salty and rich in birdlife, with salt marshes and tidal flats as an impressive finale where nature and the tides set the rhythm.
Cycling route National Park De Alde Feanen
Cycle through De Alde Feanen National Park and discover a unique lowland peat marsh where water and land form a delicate mosaic. You’ll ride alongside open water and peat pools, with reed beds, meadows, and wild shoreline zones shaping the area’s rich natural character. Swamp forests, narrow canals, and bird-filled fringes keep the views changing throughout the route, making it ideal if you enjoy quiet paths, waterways, and nature close to home.
Cycling route Gaasterland and Frisian Lakes Region
Cycle through Gaasterland and along the Frisian Lakes and experience Friesland’s most surprising relief in the National Landscape of Southwest Fryslân. You’ll ride over gently rolling ridges with sheltered woodlands and green cliffs, with occasional views opening up towards the IJsselmeer. Beyond Gaasterland, the scenery widens into lakes, canals, and reed-fringed shores with jetties and marinas, making this route a beautiful blend of nature, water, and panoramic views.
Cycling route Stellingwerven and Schoterland
Cycle through Southeast Friesland and enjoy a varied patchwork landscape of woodland belts, small heathlands, stream valleys, and historic peat reclamation areas. Around the Tsjonger river you’ll notice the contrast between picturesque Schoterland and the quieter Stellingwerven. In the north, farmland and estate scenery alternate, while the south feels more water-rich with peat polders, reed beds, and peat ponds. Along the way, pumping stations, sluices, and old windmills add extra character to this distinctly Frisian waterscape.
Cycling route National Landscape Southwest Fryslân
Cycle through the National Landscape of Southwest Fryslân and experience Friesland’s wide-open waterscape, where sky and water set the tone. You’ll ride along ditches and canals, lakes and dikes, with reed beds, peat meadows, and farmland creating a calm sense of space. Historic harbour towns and old quays add atmosphere and variety along the way, making this route an effortless blend of nature, water, and culture.
Cycling route Groene Ster and Friese Wouden
Cycle through De Groene Ster and the Frisian Woods and discover a remarkably varied landscape where water and greenery lie close together. You’ll ride past lakes and reed beds, with swamp forests and quiet paths opening up new views and unexpectedly wide horizons along the way. This is a great route if you want to combine nature, variety, and peaceful kilometres in the north of Friesland.
Cycling route Wadden Island Terschelling
Cycle on Terschelling and experience an island with a remarkable sense of space and landscapes that keep changing as you ride. You’ll pass wide beaches and high dunes, cycle through pine forests and heathland, and follow routes past polders, salt marshes, and quiet nature reserves such as De Boschplaat. With excellent cycle paths and short distances, it’s an ideal day ride to combine a rugged Wadden Sea atmosphere with the charm of the island’s villages.
Cycling route National Landscape Noardlike Fryske Wâlden
Cycle through the Noardlike Fryske Wâlden National Landscape and experience an intimate patchwork countryside where open grasslands are bordered by hedgerows and alder shelterbelts. You’ll follow quiet roads past coppice woods, small ponds, and narrow viewpoints that give the area its enclosed, varied character. A special feature is the pingo ruins, ancient Ice Age meltwater hollows that now form tranquil pools and natural landmarks across the landscape.
