Start in Purmerend and cycle 29 km through De Beemster, past farm shops, cheesemakers, fruit orchards, and honey. Discover the tastiest regional products of North Holland!
Taste the Beemster by bike
The Regional Products Route through De Beemster is the ultimate culinary cycling tour of North Holland. In 29 kilometers, you cycle through the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Beemster Polder, past traditional farmhouses, fertile clay fields, and sixteen surprising stops. Every stop is a promise: fresh cheese, sweet honey, juicy fruit, organic meat, or a charcuterie board at a historic sexton's house. Taste, buy, and enjoy — all while still on your bike.
Directions
You start at the Tourist Transfer Point (TOP) on the Beemsterburgwal in Purmerend. Soon you leave the city and drive into the vast polders of De Beemster. The sky is wide, the horizon distant, and the roads are straight — typical of this geometrically laid-out polder landscape dating back to 1612. You pass the first fruit farms early on: Fruitteeltbedrijf Kuijk and the specialized Fruitteeltbedrijf Tromp, where, depending on the season, you will find fresh grapes, plums, apples, and pears right at the door.
Continuing along the polder ditches, you drive towards Farm Shop De Liefde in Zuidoostbeemster, stocked with vegetables, fruit, and dairy. A little further on, the route ends at Beemster Honingzoet, where beekeeper Marianne sets up her stall twice a year with spring honey, summer honey, and beeswax products. Organic farm shop Sonnevanck, with dairy and beef cows on its own land, is stop number six.
Halfway along the route, you pass Kaasboerderij Groot in Middenbeemster — artisanal cheese, fresh yogurt, and a cheese vending machine that is open day and night. Afterwards, you visit the Beemster Visitor Centre, where you learn all about the UNESCO World Heritage site. At the historic sexton's house, Bij Moeders keeps its doors open for organic bread, lunch, or a picnic basket for the rest of the ride.
The northern part of the route takes you past Korenmolen De Nachtegaal (1669), the only remaining grain mill in De Beemster, and De Nicolaashoeve with fresh milk on tap. You conclude the culinary loop with stops at Het Beemsterlant's Varken, Fruitbedrijf De Proeftuin, and De Beemster Kaaswagen, before returning to Purmerend.
Highlights along the way
- Cheese Farm Groot (stop 7) — Artisan Beemster cheese, fresh quark, and a 24/7 cheese vending machine in the middle of the polder.
- De Nachtegaal Windmill (stop 11) — The only windmill in De Beemster, built in 1669 and beautifully restored in 2013.
- Bij Moeders (stop 9) — Lunch, organic regional products, and e-bike rental in a historic sexton's house in the heart of Middenbeemster.
- Beemster Visitor Centre (stop 8) — Multimedia experience about the polder, tourist information office, and shop full of Beemster regional products.
- De Nicolaashoeve (stop 12) — Fresh milk straight from the tap, tulip bulbs, and farm tours.
Background story: a polder full of flavor
Centuries ago, Lake Beemster was drained using more than forty windmills. What emerged was gold: fertile Beemster clay soil, perfect for livestock, vegetables, and fruit. Originally intended for grain cultivation, the polder soon proved much more suitable for dairy cows and orchards. The landscape surveyed in 1612—with its neat plots, straight roads, and characteristic bell-shaped farmhouses—has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1999. Every bite you take along the way tastes of that centuries-long history.
Tips and practical information
- Starting point: Tourist Transfer Point (TOP) Purmerend, Beemsterburgwal, 1441 KB Purmerend
- End point: Same location (round trip)
- Distance: 29 km (recreational cycle route)
- Route type: Cycle node network (nodes 04, 06, 07, 08, 09, 11)
- Download GPX: GPX available via the Laag Holland website
- Accessibility by public transport: Depart from Amsterdam Centraal or Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA towards Purmerend (train + bus). Purmerend Centre is within walking distance of the starting point. Feel free to take public transport — your bike also fits on the train outside of peak hours!
- Bicycle rental: Bij Moeders (stop 9) rents electric bicycles; Beemster Visitor Centre also has bicycle rental.
- Seasonal tips: The fruit shops are best stocked from June to October. Beemster Honingzoet sells spring honey from mid-June and summer honey from mid-August. Farm shop Sonnevanck is open all year round.
- Opening hours: Check the opening hours at each stop before you leave; some shops are only open on Saturdays (including Fruit Farm De Proeftuin and Fruit Farm Tromp).
This route is all about the taste of the Beemster: fresh cheese, honey, fruit, organic meat and dairy — straight from the farmer.
