Historical bike tour - Inspired by European City of the Year

Description

1. Starting point: Amersfoort Centraal
Our journey begins at the beating transportation heart of the city: Amersfoort Centraal. This station is not only a hub for travelers, but also the perfect starting point for our bike tour.

Caspar van Wittelplantsoen 2.
A short drive from the train station brings us to the Caspar van Wittelplantsoen. Caspar van Wittel, a famous Amersfoort painter of cityscapes, would have been proud of this park named after him. This green oasis in the middle of the city is perfect for a short break and to enjoy nature.

Piet Mondriaanlaan 3.
Cycling along Piet Mondriaanlaan you pass the north side of Amersfoort Central Station. Cycle a little further and you are at the Wagenwerkplaats.

Wagenwerkplaats 4.
Wagenwerkplaats is a former industrial site that has been transformed into a vibrant cultural center. This inspiring place reflects the innovative spirit of Amersfoort. With studios, theaters and restaurants, there is always something going on here!

Central Boilerhouse Lunch Cafe 5.
Time for a pit stop! The Centraal Ketelhuis, located in the Wagenwerkplaats, is the ideal place to enjoy a delicious lunch. This former industrial building combines a unique atmosphere with tasty dishes.

Silver Maple
The Silver Maple, hidden in the streets of Amersfoort, is a must-see for nature lovers. The tree is currently about 74 years old and gets its name from the silvery underside of its leaves!

Fläkt Building 7.
The Fläkt Building is a gem of industrial architecture. It symbolizes the industrial progress of Amersfoort. This sustainable building was far ahead of its time and was built with only 3 elements: wedge-shaped floor elements (380 pieces), curved wall elements (380 pieces) and columns (17 pieces). The building was vacant for many years, but was recently taken over to breathe new life into the building.

Isselt Experimental Garden.
The Proef-Tuin Isselt is an experimental garden where local residents work together to develop sustainable agricultural practices. Under the motto "Green works better," 033GROEN has been developing the pilot garden here since 2013.

Melksteeg nature reserve 9.
A little outside the city is the Melksteeg nature reserve. The area contributes to a sustainable strengthening of our region's nature network, biodiversity and green landscape.

10. The Cow of Soest
Just across the border with Soest we come across 'The Cow of Soest', a striking work of art in the middle of the landscape. This 'cow' also serves as a handy information point!

Grebbelinie Amersfoort-Soest 11.
The Grebbelinie is a historic defense work that played a crucial role during several conflicts. The line was built in the 18th century and is a pre-defense of the Dutch Waterline.

Coelhorst 12.
The Coelhorst estate, with its century-old trees and picturesque views, is the perfect place to take a break and enjoy the tranquility. Cycling is unfortunately not allowed here, so enjoy a walk through it!

Amersfoort Hospital 13.
Amersfoort's Meander Hospital opened in 2013 to replace the old Amersfoort Lichtenberg and Amersfoort Sint-Elisabeth locations. Did you know that the hospital has an area of up to 100,000m2 and some 600 beds?

ROER 14.
The next stop is at ROER. At this little restaurant you can enjoy a nice cup of coffee or a nice glass of wine between the floating steel on the Eem. They are open from Thursday to Sunday between 10:00-18:00.

Vitelli's ice cream 15.
Rather fancy a 'cool' stopover? Then this cycle route will take you to an exquisite spot. At IJs van Vitelli they serve delicious ice cream with a special character. For the preparation they use pure products: local farm milk and fresh fruit from the area.

Jerusalem (neighborhood) 16.
Just after World War II, there was a great shortage of houses and building materials. Because of this shortage, smart and fast construction was done with lots of concrete slabs. These types of houses are called "Airey houses" and are named after the designer, Sir Edwin Airey (1879-1955).

New Town 17.
De Nieuwe Stad is a dynamic and innovative area where old factory buildings have been given new life. With a mix of workplaces, hospitality and cultural events, it is a vibrant heart of creativity and entrepreneurship.

Eemplein 18.
Eemplein is a modern city square surrounded by art, culture and entertainment. With the Eemhuis, an architectural masterpiece housing various cultural institutions, this square is the cultural epicenter of the city!

The Koppelpoort 19.
The Koppelpoort is an iconic symbol of Amersfoort. This historic gate is a combination of a land and water gate. It was built in the Middle Ages and offers a picturesque view.

20. Muurhuizen
Cycling along the Muurhuizen, surrounded by the old city wall, imagine yourself back in time. These beautifully preserved houses, built on the foundations of the old city wall, breathe history!

Monk Dam 21.
The Monnikendam, like the Koppelpoort, is a preserved part of the second city wall. The construction of Monnikendam took no less than one hundred years. Now it is a frequently used wedding location! Besides getting married, you can also have a delicious meal in the tasty restaurant 'de Monnikendam'.

Park 22. Elisabeth Groen
We bike out of downtown toward a unique park: Elisabeth Groen. The park was developed by and for residents. All 'objects' and 'areas' here tell their own story. Formerly, the old Elisabeth hospital of Amersfoort stood here.

Roethof 23.
At Roethof you can take a nice break. Time for an ice cream! The ice cream parlor has been known for years in Amersfoort as the parlor with the best vanilla ice cream. You must try this once!

Juliana van Stolberg Park 24.
Amersfoort used to be, especially in the 19th century, an important strategic place for the army. Therefore, a barracks was built where as many as 4,000 men could sleep. This barracks is now a residential complex with a beautiful green park right in front of it. The barracks were named after Juliana van Stolberg, the mother of William of Orange.

Water Tower 25.
This old water tower has not been used for what it was actually built for since 1927. The tower stands at a fairly high point (44m above NAP). Therefore, it was not necessary to design the tower very high. To this the tower owes its rather rare, stocky shape.

Berghotel Amersfoort
The Berghotel is one of the largest hotels in Amersfoort with 88 rooms. Opened in 1880, the hotel accommodated guests who arrived on horseback or in carriages during their trip to Amersfoort or Utrecht.

Belgians Monument 27.
During World War I, the Netherlands took in many Belgian servicemen and their families. In gratitude, the Belgian architect Huib Hoste designed the Belgenmonument. Besides the monument, the surrounding garden is definitely worth a visit!

Limvio Field 28.
This large field gives you the space to rest just before the end of your bike ride. You can find several wood sculptures and for the kids there is a fun nature playground with a swinging rope and a sand and water play area!

29. End point: Amersfoort Central Station
The end point of this bike route is the same as the starting point: welcome back to Amersfoort Centraal!