Utrecht, Zeist, De Bilt

There are plenty of historic buildings along this cycle route. During this route, you combine pleasantly busy Utrecht with beautiful forts and castles in green landscapes. All these forts near Utrecht were once built as part of the New Dutch Waterline. This waterline was an important line of defence in the history of the Netherlands. During the Eighty Years' War, the idea arose to stop the enemy by flooding polders, also known as inundation.

The very first line was a complicated system of all different dams, dykes, sluices, inlets and supply channels. The land around this line could be flooded using this system. The big city of Utrecht only fell outside this line because it had already been taken by French troops. All vulnerable points in the defence line were mainly reinforced by forts. When aircraft were first used in the war in 1940, this defence line lost its strength.

Besides all these forts, you will also pass several castles including Slot Zeist Castle. Because of this castle, Zeist is also known as Slotstad. Zeist is a very green city full of wooded areas, which you will undoubtedly enjoy during this cycle route.

Hop on your bike, dive into history and don't forget to grab a terrace along the way!