The IJssel Tour

The IJssel tour is eastern Holland with castles, ancient towns, national parks, lakes and canals; older Netherlands at its best. The cycling starts along the scenic river Vecht with its prosperous mansions. Utrecht, once a bishop seat shows its long history with all its churches, canals and city castles. Along the river landscape of the delta country, you will cycle to Arnhem where the Allied effort to end World War II took place. The “bridge too far” is next to the barge.

We cycle through heather fields and forests that create De Hoge Veluwe National Park. The park hosts the Kroller-Mueller museum, which is famous for its collection of Van Gogh and other impressionistic paintings. The river IJssel leads us along old Hanseatic cities like Zutphen, Deventer and Hattem, where trade took place in the 14th century. We’ll visit the Palace Het Loo, built in 1685, a beautiful palace that we tour along with its impressive French gardens.

Enjoy the “Venice of the North” in Giethoorn, where waterways are more abundant than roads. Strategical places like the fortified town of Naarden and Muiderslot castle from 1285, are on your path to Amsterdam. The tour begins and ends in Amsterdam.Your last full day is spent in Amsterdam.

Tours begin on Saturday in Europe; you must leave the USA on Friday to arrive on Saturday. Guests need to arrive at the barge by noon the day the tour starts. On the last day of the tour guests debark by 9:00 am.