Former islands in the polder

Distance: 40 km

Fishing village of Urk. Photo © Holland-Cycling.comFishing village of Urk. Photo © Holland-Cycling.com

This route takes you through the Noordoostpolder, land that until 1942 was the bottom of the Zuiderzee. Find out how the so-called 'new land' was developed and see what remains of the past. Highlights of this route are the former islands of Urk and Schokland.

From the historic centre of Urk, you cycle through the 'new land' to the utopia village of Nagele, built by leading Dutch architects in the 1950s. The route continues through open polder land to the former island of Schokland - now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On this small mound surrounded by flat green polders it's not hard to imagine the green waving reeds were once blue roaring waves... Cycling back to Urk along the dyke, you get great views of the town of Lelystad across the water.

Urk Cycle Route

Distance: 40 km (2h40)
Type of route: Day trip, round trip
Starting point:

Ferry Enkhuizen - Urk
- Bicycle rental in the centre of Urk
- Car parking

GPS: Download this route as a GPX file.

Find out more:

- For an overview of all of our must-do cycle routes, go to: Day trips.
- Do you need to rent a bike? Find out how on our Bicycle rental page.

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