Nijkerk, Zeewolde

Did you know that at the end of the 18th century, after Arnhem, Nijkerk was the largest town in the province of Gelderland? Thanks to trade, tobacco cultivation and glassworks, Nijkerk was prosperous. You can still see this in the richly decorated town houses. Zeewolde is much younger: in 1984 it became an independent municipality. It is a green and water rich town. Zeewolde was created for recreation, including on the water.

That water is the Nuldernauw. This elongated border lake was created after the reclamation of eastern Flevoland in 1968. The name refers to the former hamlet ‘Nulde’ near Putten. The word ‘nauw’ means a narrow water connection. Nuldernauw therefore quite literally means ‘the narrow water near Nulde’.

With this route you cycle along both sides of the lake. As you ride along the green shores you only hear the sound of waving reeds and quacking water birds. Admittedly, you have to cycle a short stretch along the A28. But with a wide green buffer between the road and the cycle path, and the vast water on your other side, it is not so bad.

Along the way you pass several beautiful beaches. On the Flevoland side you pass Erkemederstrand. Via the bridge, which marks the dividing line between the Nuldernauw and the Nijkerkernauw, you cross over to Gelderland. Along the Gelderland shores you cycle past Strand Horst, one of the best known windsurfing beaches in the Netherlands. Of course you also pass Strand Nulde. Where the Nuldernauw flows into the Wolderwijd, near Harderwijk and Ermelo, you take the ferry to cross and you will have completed a lovely round of the Nuldernauw.

Please note: during this route you cross the water from Strand Horst to Zeewolde by ferry.
The ferry operates on weekdays from 06.30 to 18.10.
Saturdays: 8.20 to 18.10.
Sundays and public holidays: 10.00 to 18.10.

In July and August the ferry departs from and arrives at junction 21 in Zeewolde instead of junction 45. This can be reached via 45-20-21 or the other way around.

From 1 November to 1 March the ferry does not operate on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Check the current sailing times on the website at the stop Veerdienst Zeewolde Horst.

If you cycle the route when the ferry is not operating, you can take a detour from junction 07 via junctions 09-82-11-29-23-22-21-20-45 or the other way around, which adds 18 km.