The Landscape

The Gooi region has a rich history that stretches back to prehistoric times. Burial mounds still dot the landscape, silent witnesses to early human settlement. During the Middle Ages, small farming hamlets emerged on the higher sandy soils, where communal arable fields, known as essen, were cultivated. In the 19th century, wealthy citizens from Amsterdam discovered the tranquillity and open space of the region and built elegant villas nestled in nature. Villages like Laren and Blaricum soon became beloved retreats for artists and commuters alike. Today, the area offers a beautiful and varied landscape of rolling heathlands, ancient woodlands, serene fens, and picturesque country estates.

Eemland is a unique open polder landscape nestled between the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and the Randmeren, shaped by peat, clay, and water. As early as the Middle Ages, locals built dikes and drainage canals to reclaim the soggy peatlands. For centuries, this low-lying region has served as pastureland, and even today you’ll find endless flower-rich meadows with grazing cows, perfectly straight ditches, and ancient dike lines. Meandering through this wide, open expanse is the river Eem, the only river that begins and ends entirely within the Netherlands. The landscape exudes peace, space, and vastness, with sweeping views to the horizon and fields teeming with birdlife.

Forests and Heaths

Estates and Heritage

Polders and Farmlands

Rivers and Streams

Join us on this virtual cycling route

Virtual cycling through the Gooi and Eemland

Route map

Start and finish at bike node 21 on the Groeneveld in Baarn. This bicycle route is a round trip, so that offers the ability to start at any desired bike node.

👉 The ferry connection Eemdijk-Eemnes near bicycle bike node 11 has no service on sundays. It is advisable to cycle from cycle bike node 20 directly to cycle bike node 25 and continue the route from there to cycle bike node 2. Coming from the other side from cycle bike node 25, cycle directly to cycle bike node 20 and continue the route from there to cycle bike node 21.

21 - 20 - 19 - 8 - 12 - 11 - 25 - 2 - 1 - 75 - 76 - 77 - 78 - 33 - 34 - 32 - 37 - 10 - 36 - 50 - 51 - 53 - 56 - 22 - 21

  • 66% of the route runs on paved roads. 
  • 34% of the route runs on unpaved and semi-paved paths. 

MORE INFO ABOUT ROAD AND SURFACE CONDITIONS

55
Kilometers
220
Minutes
139
Elevation meters