Amsterdam is not a vast city. Within cycling half an hour or so, you’re in the countryside.
Nice day trips are possible north to Waterland, south along the Amstel river or south-east to the river Vecht and a couple of old fortified towns there (Weesp, Muiden, Naarden).
Weesp (10 miles from the centre of Amsterdam) is a good starting point. You can cycle there along the impressive Amsterdam-Rhine canal. Or take the train and rent bikes at the station in Weesp. It’s only 15 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central station to Weesp, four trains per hour.
Weesp is a quiet little town with a nice old fortified centre (Gothic church and City Hall build 1776) and a couple of windmills.
In fortified Muiden (2 miles north of Weesp) the medieval castle Muiderslot can be visited. To get to Muiden and the castle, go to the river Vecht in the centre of Weesp. Across the old double bridge, passing a small fort on the left, then another bridge. Turn left and just follow the bicycle signs that read "Muiden" or "Muiden-route". The route along the river gives lovely scenic views of the Dutch countryside.
Naarden (6 miles east of Weesp) is one of the best preserved fortified towns in Europe. One of the forts is now a Fortress Museum . To cycle from Weesp to Naarden, use the same river crossing. But where you would turn left for Muiden, turn right for Fort Uitermeer. You'll cycle along the river and a couple of windmills. At fort Uitermeer you can walk around the ruins for free. Continue cycling in direction of Bussum, and at some point you'll see cycle signs to "Naarden-Vesting" (=fortified Naarden).
Good to know : in Holland cyclists have their own signposts. In red letters with a small red bicycle on it. Always follow these signs for a bike-friendly route.
Generally, cycling is pretty safe around here. Either there are separate bicycle paths, or narrow roads with limited traffic.
Anyway, you don’t have to cover large distances, as the sights are not far apart.
So, a cycling trip is also very well possible with children. They’ll love the castle and the forts anyway.
For a round tour Weesp - Muiden - Muiderberg - Naarden - Weesp, you should reserve a full day. It totals not more than 30-40 km cycling, but you'll need this time if you want to visit and look around. There is so much to see !
Note: Weesp is a really quiet town on a Sunday...nothing is open in the morning. The bike shop does not open until 10 am so don't get there too early. Bring your passports and 50 euro cash for each bike as a deposit for the rental. The shop does not take credit cards so you need cash. They are unbending on either requirement.
Prepare your trip with this link page , where you can find a lot of practical advice and routes in this beautiful region just outside Amsterdam. There is also a Google-map with images of places and sights. Look on Google-maps for "Places of interest, just east of Amsterdam" in "user-created content", or follow this link .
