Cycle route along the Defence Line of Amsterdam
Heemskerk, Beverwijk, Zaandijk
Between 1880 and 1920, the Defence Line of Amsterdam was constructed – a 135-kilometre defensive line with 45 forts. If enemies threatened to attack, the area around the capital – which would serve as the last stronghold of the Netherlands – could be flooded to keep invading armies at a distance. The field army could retreat here and, together with civilians, hold out until help arrived from abroad. Supplies were stocked to survive for six months, and two gunpowder factories were located within the area. The forts were placed where the waterline was crossed by railways, dikes or roads. During this cycle route, you’ll pass by several of these beautiful and impressive forts. Hop off your bike to take a closer look at the buildings and learn more about the history. Enjoy cycling past countless polder meadows with ditches and canals, and listen to the chirping of meadow and water birds. Get a breath of fresh air in the dunes on one side, and on the other side, experience the bustling Dutch life of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries at the Zaanse Schans. Cycling along the Defence Line of Amsterdam really is a day out. Will you hop on your bike? Note: to cycle through the North Holland Dune Reserve you’ll need a dune pass (entry ticket). You can buy one through the managing water company PWN: www.pwn.nl/duinkaartkopen. Also check out the other access rules for this dune reserve and plan your visit accordingly.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Provincialeweg , 1551 CG Zaanstad | 57.9 KM | |
|
From
68
to
63
|
1517 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head east on Provincialeweg | 646 M | ||
| Turn left onto Middel | 871 M | ||
| You are now at section 63 | 0 M | ||
|
From
63
to
73
|
2661 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head east | 74 M | ||
| Continue onto Freek Engelpad | 762 M | ||
| Continue straight | 30 M | ||
| Continue onto Freek Engelpad | 397 M | ||
| Turn left onto Guishof | 32 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Fortuinweg | 8 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Doctor Jan Mulderstraat; Dr. Jan Mulderstraat | 19 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Doctor Jan Mulderstraat; Dr. Jan Mulderstraat | 474 M | ||
| Continue straight | 77 M | ||
| Turn left | 20 M | ||
| Turn right | 40 M | ||
| Turn right | 385 M | ||
| Continue onto Guisweg | 343 M | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
|
From
73
to
94
|
2316 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head north on Kalverringdijk | 7 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Kalverringdijk | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Engewormer | 636 M | ||
| You are now at section 94 | 0 M | ||
|
From
94
to
92
|
1564 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head northwest on Engewormer | 26 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zaandammerpad | 342 M | ||
| Turn left | 114 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Papiermakerstraat | 358 M | ||
| Continue onto Rigastraat | 133 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Bordwalserstraat | 126 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Bordwalserstraat | 18 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Rigastraat | 54 M | ||
| Enter Unieplein and take the 4th exit | 68 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout | 206 M | ||
| Turn right | 10 M | ||
| Turn left | 23 M | ||
| Continue onto Nieuweweg | 13 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nieuweweg | 73 M | ||
| You are now at section 92 | 0 M | ||
|
From
92
to
91
|
1859 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head south on Nieuweweg | 8 M | ||
| Continue straight | 136 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Zaanweg | 665 M | ||
| Turn left onto Marktstraat | 234 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Krommenieërweg | 145 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Krommenieërweg | 671 M | ||
| You are now at section 91 | 0 M | ||
|
From
91
to
90
|
753 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head north on Kerkstraat | 29 M | ||
| Turn left | 178 M | ||
| Turn left | 127 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kerkstraat | 419 M | ||
| You are now at section 90 | 0 M | ||
|
From
90
to
86
|
2014 M | 2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Badhuislaan | 241 M | ||
| Turn right onto Weverstraat | 804 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zonnebaars | 50 M | ||
| Continue onto Waterjuffer | 163 M | ||
| Turn left | 48 M | ||
| Turn left onto Vlusch | 708 M | ||
| You are now at section 86 | 0 M | ||
|
From
86
to
85
|
1791 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head northwest on Krommeniedijk | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Krommenieweg | 234 M | ||
| You are now at section 85 | 0 M | ||
|
From
85
to
38
|
3710 M | 3.7 KM | |
| Head south on Busch en Dam | 2 KM | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Busch en Dam | 56 M | ||
| Turn right onto Provincialeweg | 25 M | ||
| Turn left onto Busch en Dam | 1.5 KM | ||
| Make a slight left | 80 M | ||
| Turn left onto Groenedijk | 58 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Groenedijk | 45 M | ||
| You are now at section 38 | 0 M | ||
|
From
38
to
37
|
885 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Communicatieweg | 885 M | ||
| You are now at section 37 | 0 M | ||
|
From
37
to
36
|
1212 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Communicatieweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
10
|
1452 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head north on Communicatieweg | 703 M | ||
| Turn right onto Communicatieweg | 6 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Tolweg | 31 M | ||
| Turn left onto De Baandert | 177 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto De Baandert | 42 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto De Baandert | 482 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit | 11 M | ||
| You are now at section 10 | 0 M | ||
|
From
10
to
99
|
2326 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head north | 31 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto De Baandert | 604 M | ||
| Turn right onto Mozartstraat | 349 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Noordermaatweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 99 | 0 M | ||
|
From
99
to
23
|
1337 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head northwest on Noordermaatweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 23 | 0 M | ||
|
From
23
to
35
|
1011 M | 1 KM | |
| Head north on Beverwijkerstraatweg | 23 M | ||
| Turn left | 25 M | ||
| Turn left | 23 M | ||
| Continue onto Rijksstraatweg | 940 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
34
|
2973 M | 3 KM | |
| Head west on Duinweg | 20 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Kraaiennest | 123 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Kruisberg | 2.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
97
|
4515 M | 4.5 KM | |
| Head south on Meeuwenweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Meeuwenweg | 482 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Meeuwenweg | 756 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 498 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Kaagweg | 304 M | ||
| Turn left onto Wim Mensinkstraat | 940 M | ||
| You are now at section 97 | 0 M | ||
|
From
97
to
42
|
2718 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head east on Verlengde Voorstraat | 422 M | ||
| Turn left onto Duinrand | 52 M | ||
| Continue onto Zeestraat | 2.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
|
From
42
to
1
|
1638 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head southwest on Zeestraat | 24 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Zeestraat | 639 M | ||
| Turn right | 27 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Westerhoutplein | 108 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Westerhoutweg | 393 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Holland op zijn smalst | 447 M | ||
| You are now at section 01 | 0 M | ||
|
From
1
to
41
|
2246 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Holland op zijn smalst | 378 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Rijk de Waalweg | 33 M | ||
| Turn left onto Velserweg | 239 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Velserweg | 22 M | ||
| Continue onto Velserweg | 234 M | ||
| Turn right onto Breestraat | 971 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Beatrixlaan | 369 M | ||
| You are now at section 41 | 0 M | ||
|
From
41
to
6
|
1928 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Sint Aagtendijk | 254 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Sint Aagtendijk | 236 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Aagtenpoort | 401 M | ||
| Turn left onto Parallelweg | 56 M | ||
| Turn right onto De Meerlanden | 35 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on De Meerlanden | 75 M | ||
| Turn right onto Sint Aagtendijk | 871 M | ||
| You are now at section 06 | 0 M | ||
|
From
6
to
44
|
674 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head south on Vuurlinie | 422 M | ||
| Turn left onto Noorderweg | 245 M | ||
| Turn right onto Waterlinie | 7 M | ||
| You are now at section 44 | 0 M | ||
|
From
44
to
38
|
4682 M | 4.7 KM | |
| Head southwest on Vuurlinie | 2 KM | ||
| Continue onto Kanaalweg | 448 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kanaalweg | 2.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 38 | 0 M | ||
|
From
38
to
99
|
482 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head southeast on Noorder Y en Zeedijk | 287 M | ||
| Keep left onto Dorpsstraat | 195 M | ||
| You are now at section 99 | 0 M | ||
|
From
99
to
10
|
807 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head south on Dorpsstraat | 214 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Noorder Y en Zeedijk | 506 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Noorder Y en Zeedijk | 26 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Noorder Y en Zeedijk | 37 M | ||
| Turn right | 24 M | ||
| You are now at section 10 | 0 M | ||
|
From
10
to
67
|
1546 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head northeast on Provincialeweg | 98 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Nauerna | 208 M | ||
| Keep left onto Nauerna | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Nauerna | 31 M | ||
| You are now at section 67 | 0 M | ||
|
From
67
to
69
|
3185 M | 3.2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Zaandammerweg | 736 M | ||
| Turn right onto Veldweg | 20 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Veldweg | 2.4 KM | ||
| Turn left to stay on Veldweg | 31 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
|
From
69
to
68
|
4111 M | 4.1 KM | |
| Head west on Overtoom | 122 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zuideinde | 3.9 KM | ||
| Make a slight right | 58 M | ||
| You are now at section 68 | 0 M |
Open the route in our app