Cycling by numbers

A route description from Purmerend to and through the Het Twiske recreation area reads like this: 29-24-23-22-22-21-15-16-20-19-16-17-12-13-14-60-35-31-30. During the ride, all you have to do is remember the next number and follow the signs. And if a section is not passable because, for example, a bridge is closed: no problem, because cyclists are taken seriously in the Netherlands. A large sign indicates in good time that the section is closed and the alternative route with a large detour sign is easy to find. On top of that, there was a car at the start of the detour with a friendly person who told us something about "Brug dicht" and so on, but quickly realized that our knowledge of Dutch was very limited and immediately switched to perfect English. Exemplary (and very practical, because there was a strong wind blowing - as usual when cycling: from the front, no matter which direction you're going).

Het Twiske is not actually that old as a local recreation area; it came into being with the construction of the A8 motorway and the Coe Tunnel in the early 1960s. A large quantity of sand was extracted from the peatland for the construction, creating the Stootersplas gravel pit, which is up to 40 metres deep. The area used to be characterised by peat meadows, and it is still wet: a third of the 650 hectares is water. The designs for Het Twiske’s current layout were developed from 1972 onwards by landscape architect Mariske Pemmelaar-Groot, whose aim was to strike a balance between the needs for sport and recreation in the west and south, the higher natural value in the north, and the preservation of the wetland character across the entire area. For day trippers, many of whom arrive by car (and contribute to the upkeep and maintenance of the area through parking fees), there are beaches, an adventure and water playground, a diving platform, a marina, a visitor centre, a holiday farm, day campsites, restaurants and the Twiskemolen polder mill.