5 Best Cycling Routes for Spring
Spring is arguably the best season to get back on the saddle. The days are lengthening, the temperatures are mild enough for a full day out without overheating, and the Dutch countryside is putting on its most colourful show of the year think blooming tulip fields, waking wetlands, and windmills catching the low afternoon light. Whether you’re shaking off the winter rust or planning your first proper training ride of the year, here are five routes that make the most of the season.
1. Leiden – Warmond – De Kaag – Bodegraven – Leiden (73.5 km)
If there’s one ride that captures the essence of a Dutch spring, this is it. This loop takes you past the bulb fields around De Kaag, where rows of tulips in every colour imaginable stretch out toward the horizon in April and early May. The route is flat and fast, weaving through polder landscapes, past the water of the Kagerplassen, and down toward Bodegraven before looping back to Leiden. Bring your camera the tulip season is short, and this is one of the few rides where the scenery genuinely outshines the effort.
Distance: 73.5 km · Elevation: 398 m · Difficulty: Easy
2. Naar Stolwijk via de Reeuwijkse Plassen (59.9 km)
The Reeuwijkse Plassen is a patchwork of lakes, reed beds, and narrow dykes just outside Gouda, and spring is when it truly comes alive. Migratory birds return to the wetlands, wildflowers start creeping along the verges, and the classic windmill views along the water make for one of the most photogenic stretches of quiet cycling in the region. It’s a moderate ride with a good mix of open water views and sheltered polder roads ideal for testing your legs after winter.
Distance: 59.9 km · Elevation: 346 m · Difficulty: Moderate
3. Wassenaar naar Den Haag via Scheveningen (58 km)
For riders who want sea air with their spring miles, this coastal route delivers. Starting in Wassenaar, it hugs the dunes before dropping into Scheveningen, where the boulevard and the beach open up beside you. Spring is the sweet spot here: the crowds of summer haven’t arrived yet, but the weather is already good enough to enjoy a coffee stop with a sea view. The final stretch into Den Haag adds some welcome urban contrast to an otherwise nature-heavy ride.
Distance: 58 km · Elevation: 316 m · Difficulty: Moderate
4. Fochteloërveen (54.1 km)
Fochteloërveen is one of the last remaining raised bogs in Western Europe, straddling the border of Friesland and Drenthe, and spring is prime time to visit. This is the season when cranes return to breed in the reserve with a bit of luck and a quiet approach, you might spot or hear them from the cycle path. The terrain is gentle and largely traffic free, making this a peaceful, nature-focused ride rather than a test of fitness.
Distance: 54.1 km · Elevation: 93 m · Difficulty: Easy
5. Bodegraven naar Gouda (40 km)
Short, flat, and forgiving this is the route to reach for on the first proper spring evening of the year, when you want to ride but aren’t quite ready to commit to a full day out. It runs through classic Green Heart polder scenery, with grazing cattle, drainage canals, and wide open skies, before finishing in the historic centre of Gouda. A perfect afterwork loop as the evenings start getting longer.
Distance: 40 km · Elevation: 30 m · Difficulty: Easy
All five routes are available with full GPX tracks and elevation data on HikeBikeAndDrive. Whichever one you choose, spring won’t wait the tulip fields alone are only at their best for a few short weeks each year.
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