Cycling Route Ice Age Landscape of Hof van Twente
Cycling through a gently rolling landscape with varied forests, an extensive heathland reserve, stately country estates, and sweeping views across fields and farmlands.
The Landscape
In the picturesque Hof van Twente lies Markelo, one of the oldest villages in Twente, surrounded by rolling fields and five distinctive hills. It is no coincidence that it carries the nickname “Village of the Five Hills,” as the open fields and elevated ridges offer far reaching views across a landscape that has preserved its relief since the last Ice Age. Around 13,000 years ago, hunters and gatherers already lived here, and that long history remains tangible through burial mounds, ancient common land boundaries, manor houses, and memorial sites from the war. In the archaeological nature reserve De Borkeld, home to the largest juniper thicket in the Netherlands, the past feels almost tangible as you cycle along sandy paths and heath fringes.
Between elevated fields, stream valleys, and hedgerows, the small town of Diepenheim appears a little further along the route, modest in size yet rich in stories. The town has held city rights since 1224 and is known for its remarkable concentration of castles and country estates, hidden among tree lined avenues, deciduous forests, and park like greenery. You cycle past elegant gardens, historic farms, and quiet waterways, with every bend revealing a new view of the Twente bocage landscape. The result is a route where nature and culture continuously reinforce one another, alternating between intimate forested spaces and open fields with sweeping horizons.
What You’ll Discover Along the Way
Around Markelo, you cycle through a varied mosaic of forest edges, small heathlands, and quiet sandy paths, where the relief of the Ice Age still shapes the route today. Between pine and oak trees, patches of purple heath and viewpoints over the Twente bocage landscape continually open up along the way.
In the Ice Age landscape of Hof van Twente, historic farmyards, hedgerows, and country estates form a green network around the route. You cycle past monumental farmhouses and avenues lined with centuries old trees, while the atmosphere of country estates and rural history is never far away.
Once you leave the higher grounds behind, the farmlands unfold into broad expanses of meadows, fields, and drainage ditches that give rhythm to the landscape. It is quintessential Twente: a small scale patchwork framed by tree lines and hedgerows, with recurring views towards church towers and distant farmhouses.
The route follows the rolling contours formed during the Ice Age, creating a constant rhythm of gentle climbs and descents without becoming too demanding. In the lower areas lie stream valleys and wet grasslands, where reed fringes and misty mornings give the landscape a quiet and timeless atmosphere.
Ride along with us on this virtual bike tour
Virtual cycling through the Ice Age landscape of Hof van Twente lets you glide through the rolling bocage landscape around Markelo and Diepenheim, where elevated fields, hedgerows, and stream valleys shape the rhythm of the route. From home, you experience the changing scenery of forest edges, heathlands, and open farmlands, with ever changing views towards farmhouses, tree lined avenues, and distant horizons.
During this virtual cycling route, you experience traces of thousands of years of landscape history, from ancient burial mounds and distinctive ridges to the archaeological nature reserve De Borkeld with its remarkable juniper thickets. Ideal for indoor cycling or relaxed riding at home, with a natural cadence of gentle climbs and smooth descents that make the Twente landscape so distinctive.
Want to learn more about virtual cycling? THIS IS HOW VIRTUAL CYCLING WORKS
Route map and cycling junctions
Start and finish near cycling junction 9 on the Borkeldweg in Markelo. 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 10 minutes
Elevation gain: 82 m
Paved roads: 60%
Unpaved / semi-paved: 40%
Ideal for: e-bikes and city bikes
Along the way: several options for a coffee break or lunch.
