TOUR 3: Waterland-East

A very recommended tour near Amsterdam. A map is to be provided. (note: this tour was formerly called "Durgerdam-Marken" but Waterland-East matches more nicely with the ice-skating tour by the same name)

Distance
35 km. A shorter variant is 23 km when turning left at the Monnickendam-Marken road (N518, see below)

Asphalt Rating
6-9. Just a few hundred meters of  bricks in Ransdorp. Now and then some stretches of rough asphalt, but on the average good (heavenly towards Marken).

Remarks
Wijnand Heitmans decribes in great detail the birds you can spot along this tour. He also raises his concern about the threads for this area now the city-council of Amsterdam has decided by referendum to expand the city into the IJlake ("the IJburg plan").

Getting There
By car or bicycle: Coming from the center of Amsterdam, take the Schellingwouderbrug. At the end of the bridge turn immediately right towards Durgerdam. Go all the way through Durgerdam (over bricks). Admire some of the lovely old wooden houses. Once through the village at the cross roads (to the left leads to Ransdorp) near an electricity-windmill there's a parking lot.

By bus: to be provided

The Route

  • 0 km (Durgerdam): take the cycle-path on top of the IJsselmeer-dike and skate towards Marken (the IJsselmeer is on your right) until you reach Uitdam.
     
  • 7 km (Uitdam): Keep the same path, passing a camping-site and small harbour (jachthaven) until you reach a T-crossing ("T-splitsing"). This is the Monnickendam-Marken road (N518).
     
  • 10 km (T-crossing N518): cross the road and turn right, taking the cycle path to Marken. This path is much broader and the asphalt is super. In summer there's often a snack-car on this crossing in case you want to avoid the crowded terasses in Marken. When arriving in Marken (the village on your left) just keep going straight over the same path until it splits at a cycle path with a sign saying "Oosterpad". This leads towards the white lighthouse. Skate all the way up to the lighthouse. If you're lucky there's an icecream man waiting for you. Otherwise there's plenty of cafes when going back to Marken.
     Alternatively, you may also take a shortcut by turning left (direction of Monnickendam) at the T-crossing (N518). The total distance of the tour will then be 23 km. Just skip to the "T-crossing N518"-bullet below.
     
  • 16 km (Marken lighthouse): return on the same road back towards Marken and the T-crossing you came from.
     
  • 22 km (T-crossing N518): follow the cycle-path towards Monnickendam. After 2 km just before Monnickendam (you should already be seeing its houses across a small lake) a sign directs to Zuiderwoude (1 km). Take this road (left), leaving the N518.
     
  • 26 km (Zuiderwoude): in Zuiderwoude near the church you'll see a small white wooden draw-bridge ("ophaalbruggetje") and a sign pointing towards Amsterdam. Cross the bridge, following the road towards Amsterdam. After 1km at a crossing there's a sign saying "Amsterdam 6, Ransdorp 6". Take this direction. The road is closed for cars except local traffic ("bestemmingsverkeer"). Here the asphalt is rough, but if you don't have blisters you should be ok. After 4.5 km at a crossing take the road turning left (still keep following any sign saying "Ransdorp"). A cycle-path leads you towards Ransdorp. Enter the village by turning right where bricks ("klinkers") start and a sign says "Durgerdam 2". Don't worry, these bricks extend only few hundred meters.
     
  • 33 km (Ransdorp): Still following the bricks through the village, you'll come to a T-crossing. A sign says "Durgerdam 1 (by bicycle) and Durgerdam 4 (or 5) (by car)". Turn left ("Durgerdam 1") and keep following this road until you reach the crossing where we started the tour.
     
  • 35 km (Durgerdam): Back again, enjoy one of the many terasses in Durgerdam....