Cycling from Haarlem to De Haar Castle
Reading Time: 6 minutes the Netherlands has a number of interesting castles. Today we combine a trip through the Green Heart of Holland with a visit to a castle.
Cycling in the Netherlands
Cycling to Hilversum (Netherlands): Where Modernism and Nature Meet
Reading Time: 6 minutes We start at train station Naarden-Bussum. After a loop via several towns and fields of heather we arrive in Hilversum to admire modernist architecture.
A visit to Haarlem's Bio Dynamic Farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes We paid a visit to a farm in Haarlem that is based on biodynamic principles. Volunteers, the city, a care facility and a private person came together to make it happen.
Haarlemse Hofjes (Almshouses)
Reading Time: 6 minutes When in Haarlem, take the self guided tour on the hofjes, those green oases in the city centre.
Grocery Deliveries by E-Bike in Amsterdam
Reading Time: < 1 minute Dutch super grocer Albert Heijn is testing grocery deliveries by cargo bike.
The Netherlands, a Nation of Cars too
Reading Time: 5 minutes The Netherlands is known for cycling like no other country. But did you know that there are also eight million cars?
Rotterdam: City Centre as City Lounge
Reading Time: 4 minutes Rotterdam is taking a lane away in their downtown arterial to create more space for pedestrians and cyclists. The population had asked for it.
In Holland, Everyone Can Ride a Bike
Reading Time: 6 minutes I remember that in my youth back in Holland in our village of 13,000 a teen called Sjaak (from ‘Jacques’) with Down Syndrome cycled by our house regularly. He had an upright bike with two enormous mirrors. His bike was his pride. The freedom for him was fantastic. He could go where he wanted, was sent out for errands by his mom and everyone knew him. Note that this was the 70’s, indeed over 40 years ago when Dutch bike infrastructure was probably not even 10% of what there is now. But Sjaak cycled on a busy road, with vehicles on [Read more…]
Back from Holland – The Train System
Reading Time: 8 minutes Those who follow me on Twitter (@HansontheBike) got a pretty good impression of what I have been doing the last three weeks. Karen and I were in the Netherlands.  I live in Canada and although on average I go back once a year, it is often for work, which means I can only add a day or two to my trip in the weekend. We also go to other places in Europe, but we make sure we make a stop over in the Netherlands for 4 to 5 days. However, in all those 17 years I never went back for a [Read more…]
The Town of Velsen, North Holland
Reading Time: 3 minutes In all likelyhood, you have never heard of Velsen in the Netherlands. I have, but I have never been there. Today, I received a blog from BicycleDutch (written by Mark Wagenbuur) in my inbox. It is one of the few blogs I follow as it gives me a good picture of what is going on in the Netherlands. Contrary to popular belief, I am not often in the Netherlands. The last time I visited the Netherlands is already about 2 years ago and I have no plans to go there soon either. Usually I am not reblogging stuff that others [Read more…]