SUMMER IN THE
NETHERLANDS 2013
Travelling with a Sprinter Van, Lunar Caravan and
Paul Hewitt Bicycles
Margaret and Barry Williamson July
2013 Continued at: Summer in Germany 2013
Introduction
After a winter in Spain and Portugal, May in England
and June in Ireland, in early July we took the Stena
Line ferry from Harwich to the Hook of Holland to begin our journey
through northern Europe. The initial focus is on cycling
the Fietspads of the Netherlands and
the Radwege of Germany; later we aim to travel in Eastern
Europe with an eye on Bulgaria and Greece.
Harwich to the Hook of Holland
As usual, we had camped at the Strangers Home Inn (www.strangershome.co.uk) in
the Essex village of Bradfield, just 8 miles from the port of Harwich. It has
a large camping field with electric hook-ups behind the pub and also
provides excellent meals. On the first day of July, we drove to the port to
take the 'Stena Britannica' to Holland – a magnificent boat which,
with its sister ship 'Stena Hollandia', claims to be the world's
largest passenger ferry.
A bonus is that caravans go free on daytime weekday
sailings, and motorhomes are just charged as a car, if booked through a
club (see www.caravanclub.co.uk or www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk
for details). The queue at check-in was almost all caravans, plus 2 pairs of
cycle tourists heading for the Fietspads (Holland's wonderful
network of cycle paths). We sailed promptly at 9 am for a very calm
crossing, had a reasonable lunch (with a free drink) and arrived at the Hook
on time at 4.45 pm – or rather 5.45 pm in Holland. No problems, except the
'free WiFi' on board was
out of order.
Hook of Holland to Camping De Krabbeplaat,
Brielle – 29 miles
Open 29 March-30 Sept. See www.krabbeplaat.nl.
€16.04 with ACSI Card
inc 10-amp electricity and showers. WiFi €3 for 24 hrs. N
51º54'36” E 4º11'5”
Our exit from the port was well timed for the
teatime rush hour! We made our way on the A20 motorway (no tolls in
Holland) east towards Rotterdam, exiting onto the A4 that tunnels
south below the New Maas river. Then west on A15 towards Europort,
taking exit 12 onto rd 57 for Brielle. Follow signs for Krabbeplaat
Camping, where we'd taken the precaution of booking a pitch by
email. It's a level grassy peaceful wooded site, grazed by rabbits
and chickens – quite a surprise in view of its proximity to the
refineries around Europort.
An electronic card (deposit €23) for operating the
barrier, both in and out, is also needed for showers.
As Reception does not open until 9 am Mon-Fri, 10 am Saturday and an
absurd 11 am Sunday, early departure means forfeiting the deposit!
Also, be aware that a €10 'administration fee' is charged for booking
ahead – and not refunded against the final bill! Only after much
argument was this item removed from our invoice. A pity that such a nice
site, so handy for Europort, should be so bureaucratic.
Cycling around Brielle
1. Ferry into Brielle, return on N57
bridge (19 km): A little ferry for foot passengers and
cyclists (signed Voet/Fiets Veer), just 1 km from the
campsite, crosses the Brielse Meer inlet to Brielle. It runs every half
hour during the daytime, takes 5 minutes and costs €1 (+ €0.25 for a
bike) each way. We took the ferry across and cycled a circuit of the
ramparts of the old fortified town, complete with moat and a dozen
bastions. A perfect afternoon, all very picturesque with typical Dutch
waterways, bridges and a traditional windmill. After sitting outside
a bakery café in the sunshine, with good coffee and scrumptious
apple pies, we looked at the central St Catharine Church – 17thC
Brabant Gothic, built of bricks with a tall tower and a splendid
organ, giving concerts every Monday evening. Entry €1 included
climbing the tower but we didn't need the exercise. Return to
campsite by riding southeast along Fietspads (cycle
paths) to the nearest road bridge on the N57, which had a
separate cycle path on each side. In the Netherlands bicycles
very rarely have to mix with traffic and we know of nowhere safer
for cyclists.
2. Via N57 bridge to Brielle and
Oostvoorne, return along Oostvoorne Meer and Brielse Meer (32 km):
Guided by a free leaflet
Fietsen op Voorne-Putten-Rozenburg (from campsite
Reception), signposts and instinct, we circled over the bridge,
through Brielle, then north and west to Oostvoorne, an area
of dunes, dikes and beaches. Ice cream was welcome, at a
beachside stall that also sold chips. Following the
Brielse Meer Fietspad we came within 3 km of
Europort and all its industry, though most of the ride was
through woods or alongside waterways, busy with leisure
craft on a hot Saturday afternoon. Chocolate melted in
our bar-bags and England had similar weather for the
Wimbledon finals.
Brielle to Minicamping Smids, Giesbeek, Nr
Arnhem – 93 miles
Open all year. See www.rhederlaag.nl/smids.html
€17.50 (cash) inc electricity, showers and free WiFi. N
51º58'51” E 6º3'41”
An easy journey, mainly on orderly motorways, brought us
to a friendlier simpler campsite on a dairy farm, run by the helpful Smid
family. See www.vekabo.nl for
listing of such smaller CL-type sites (no membership or reservation
fees).
It was 2 miles back to the A15, which we followed east
past Rotterdam for 76 miles. The motorway ran across a wide flat landscape
of crops and Friesian cattle, shared with a railway on our left and the
Waal, carrying huge barges, to the right. The minaret of a small mosque
rose above the roofline as we passed the large town of Gorinchem,
signifying Turkish Guest Workers. Near Nijmegen we turned north onto A325
towards Arnhem, exiting at 84 miles on N325 eastbound. Then joined the
A12 until the next junction, exit 27, onto rd 338 for Giesbeek. The
Minicamping is signed down a lane on the right, shortly before the
village.
Cycle routes and paths run in all directions and the
campsite WiFi is excellent. All it lacks is a washing machine, though
there are sinks with plentiful hot water and a free spin drier.
At Giesbeek, Minicamping Smids
After lunch, the temperature soaring above 30 deg C,
we had a short cycle ride (20 km return) into Giesbeek and northeast
along the Ijssel River to the old town of Doesburg. Giesbeek
village has a Spar shop/post office adjoining the lovely windmill. In
the centre of Doesburg the 15thC St Martin Church rises above
the market place. Sitting in its shade, enjoying ice creams, we
admired the brick-built tower which was restored in 1965, 20 years
after collapsing under bombardment.
Next day, using the Sprinter van, we had an
excursion to the famous Obelink camping and caravanning superstore, 30
miles away near the German border at Winterswijk: www.obelink.co.uk.
In what claims to be Europe's largest, with 3 vast floors selling everything
from clothing to tents, caravans to toilet blue, we actually couldn't find
anything we needed! But we did enjoy lunch in their self-service café, going
on to shop at Lidl in the town centre. We returned to Giesbeek via
Doesburg, using the free car/motorhome parking we'd noticed by the harbour,
an easy walk from the centre. At the Tourist Office we bought a cycle map
(Fietskaart) of the Veluwe area, scale 2 cm=1 km, published by
Falk. These cover the whole country in 20 maps, though if touring widely,
a Fietsatlas would be better value.
Cycling by Numbers
Throughout the Netherlands, there is now a numbered
network of Knooppunten (junction points), shown on maps for
cyclists. Out on the Fietspads, there is an
information board with a map at each Knooppunt, as well as
regular direction signs and distances for both local and
long-distance cycle routes. In theory it should be impossible to
get lost on two wheels, though in practice the system is not so
good within towns, where a good map or sense of direction is
needed. But what a joy to ride in safety, in the company of
other cyclists of all shapes and sizes, without being
regarded as a nuisance (at best) or target (at worst) for
impatient motorists.
1. Giesbeek to Westervoort along the
Ijssel, down the Pannerdenschkanal and Lower Rhine to Millingen, return
via Zevenaar (43 km): The cool breeze was deceptive and we
returned sun-burnt from an excellent ride on Fietspads and minor
lanes. First we rode west, along the south side of the Ijssel to its
junction with the Lower Rhine opposite Arnhem. Turning south down the
Pannerdenschkanal, we joined the long-distance Hanzaroute LF3-2,
pausing for a picnic on the
way. We passed a couple of popular foot/bike ferries across
the canal before reaching its confluence with the mighty
Rhine at Millingen-a/d-Rijn, almost at the German
border.
We returned via the town of Zevenaar, and a break for
waffles topped with warm cherries and whipped cream in the café there.
It was interesting to see a Halfords store on the main street, with a
selection of Dutch bikes for sale, though we were not tempted! Apart
from a few athletic young men on racing cycles, everyone rides the
heavy sit-upright style of city bike.
2. Arnhem via the bridge at Westervoort,
return through Veluwezoom National Park and ferry from Rhede to Rhederlaag (44
km): A cloudy dry day was ideal for cycling, with no wind. We rode
west along the Ijssel again, passed under the A12 motorway bridge and crossed
the river at the next bridge, carrying both train and traffic, yet with a
separate Fietspad on each side. We were surprised to see a couple of
Storks in the fields, along with geese and other water birds.
In the city (capital of the Netherlands' largest province,
Gelderland) we found a large shopping mall, where we bought a new SatNav at
Halfords (a 5” Garmin Nuvi). We also had a bit of banter with the toilet
attendant, an Englishman married to a Klomper (nickname from the Dutch
for 'clogs')! He said he misses having a joke, living among such a serious
hard-working people.
Riding on into the city centre we cycled both ways across
the John Frost Bridge over the Rhine, rebuilt and named in honour of the
British airborne officer who led the small group who actually got to the
bridge during the Battle of Arnhem. Injured, he was captured but survived to
serve in the army until his retirement in 1968. However, the First Airborne
Division lost nearly 75% of its strength and did not see combat again. For
the full story of 'Operation Market Garden', visit the excellent Airborne
Museum en.airbornemuseum.nl/ in Arnhem,
as we did on a previous visit.
After a snack and coffee on one of the busy shopping
streets, complete with trolley buses, trams and Fietspads, we took a
surprisingly hilly route back – past Rozendaal stately home and through the
Veluwezoom National Park, to the northeast of the city. Veluwezoom comprises
50 sq km of forest and heath, with miles of footpaths, bridleways and cycle
paths, as well as parking spots – a scenic reserve for the people of Arnhem.
Continuing east, in the small town of Rheden there is a little foot/cycle
ferry that hops across the Ijssel (€0.90 for a cyclist – or €1 if using an
e-bike!) It runs from 9 am to 6 pm, April to September, and landed us
conveniently by the Gieseplaas lake, a short ride from our campsite. www.veerdienstrheden.nl
3. Van-assisted circular ride from Otterlo in
Hoge Veluwe National Park (41 km): On a still sunny
afternoon, we drove about 20 miles into the Hoge Veluwe National
Park, to the northwest of Arnhem, and left the Sprinter on a free
parking area in Otterlo. Using a combination of our map, Knooppunt
numbers and the sun (the old ways are
sometimes best!), we cycled north via Harskamp on woodland paths
to Stroe. After an ice cream break, it was east to Kootwijk,
passing 'Radio Kootwijk' – a huge and sinister Art Deco
monstrosity, built in 1922, that was the short wave transmitter
station for the Dutch East Indies. It looked deserted but
is still used for concerts or as a film-set. Then back to
Harskamp, past a military vehicle museum, and south to
Otterlo.
4. Wehl and return (24 km): On the morning
of our departure for Germany, we had a last short ride on the Fietspad
eastwards from our camp to the village
of Wehl and back. An early mist/fine drizzle soon evaporated in
the morning sun. The friendly lad who served us coffee in Wehl
is studying in Arnhem (Computing – what else!), living at
home and commuting by train and bike, the Dutch way.
GERMANY
Giesbeek to Camping Eichengrund,
Ibbenburen – 104 miles
Open all year. €19 inc electricity (or €24 with
own private shower/WC cabin). No WiFi or internet. N 52.21829 E
7.66502
A straightforward afternoon drive, by motorway to
within 4 miles of our next camp. We took A12 north past Arnhem onto A5, then
at 21 miles turned east on A1 for Hengelo. Across the border (no need to
stop, no tolls) onto the German A30 at 69 miles, to exit 11b (Ibbenburen)
at 100 miles. South on B219 for 3 miles (past the sign for 'Camping
Dorenther Klippen' on the left), then turn right at the next campsite
sign, just after crossing the Dortmund-Ems Canal bridge. A narrow lane
leads through oak forest to our campsite, in north Munsterland.
Owned and run by the helpful Stratmann family, it's a
community of static caravans with a small area for tourers, where most
pitches have an optional private shower cabin – lovely! The communal
facilities are basic, though new ones are under construction. There is also
a large playground, minigolf and bathing pond, which were taken over by a
school party from Ibbenburen one morning on an end-of-term treat. An
excellent site; we'd have stayed longer but it was fully booked once school
hols began (19 July).
(Continued at Summer in
Germany 2013)
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