The Vecht region is one of the beautiful regions of the province of North Holland, but 't Gooi is no less beautiful. During a 3-day roadtrip, we discovered the most beautiful natural parks, funniest cities and the nicest hotspots based on the inspiring book "12 short roadtrips through the Netherlands". We fully experienced the ultimate feeling of getting away from it all during this road trip. And therefore we would like to inspire you to do the same and enjoy all the beauty this region has to offer!
Road trip day 1 - Fortified towns of Muiden and Weesp
The first day of our road trip is here and we follow the route exactly as indicated in the book. Here and there we have to take a little into account the opening hours, not to mention the weather. Because our road trip takes place in autumn, which means that sunshine and rain alternate. But in return we do get to see the Dutch landscape at its most beautiful.
Muiden
Muiden is a small fortified town in the province of North Holland and lies at the junction between the New Dutch Waterline and the Defence Line of Amsterdam. This makes the city of Muiden play an important role in history. Some sights not to be missed are the Muiderslot and the Fort Island Pampus.
The Muiderslot is one of the best preserved medieval castles and dates back to 1285. You can visit the Muiderslot and get totally immersed in what life was like in the 17th century during an audio tour. A visit to the Muiderslot is fascinating and impressive, and definitely a must-do when in Muiden. Then stroll along the harbor where traditional sailing ships are moored, catch the boat to Pampus and return to enjoy a bite to eat and a drink at restaurant Fort H.
Weesp
We got a fun fact about fortified town Weesp from Hey Frits' book, and that is that Weesp is also called "Little Amsterdam. Why, you may wonder? It's because the city has many canals, bridges and historic buildings. So one of the fun things to do in Weesp is to wander the streets. Feast your eyes and enjoy all the beauty around you. Be sure to make a stop at the Wispe Brewery located in a unique location in town. And of course an weespermop should not be missing with your coffee.
Boutique Hotel Weesp
In the heart of the city you will find the beautiful Boutique Hotel Weesp located in a historic building. You'll find a total of 9 luxurious hotel rooms, all of which are equally serene and stylishly decorated. The beds are comfortable and the bathtub is a wonderful place to relax after a day on the road. For a double room you pay average between €130.00 and €180.00 per night.
Road trip day 2 - Naarden, 't Goois Natuurreservaat and Hilversum
After a successful first day, we are curious to see what the second day of our road trip will bring us. On the plan is to visit one more impressive fortified town after which we will immerse ourselves in Dutch nature before driving on to the big city of Hilversum. Will you travel with us?
Fortified town of Naarden
It is about a 20-minute drive from Weesp to fortified town of Naarden. The cool thing about the town is that the center is inside the city walls, and the city walls form a star. Naarden is therefore known as a star-shaped fortified town. You can walk over the city walls for a nice view of the city, the green parks and look out over the water. In the center of Naarden you will find some nice stores where you can go shopping, but you will also find nice hotspots such as Meyer & Wines, restaurant Cosa and A Fusion. Another great tip is the izi.travel city tour which starts at the Utrecht Gate.
The Goois Nature Reserve
Autumn is one of our favorite seasons of the year for hiking through nature parks. The trees, shrubs and heaths turn a beautiful yellow and orange then, which of course makes for beautiful pictures. A beautiful nature park in the area is the Goois Nature Reserve. A wooded area consisting of heaths and sandy plains. A nice starting point to start your walk through the Goois Nature Reserve is near the so-called Table Mountain. This is in fact the highest point of the Gooi and lies exactly on the border of the municipalities of Huizen and Blaricum.
Tea Garden Eemnes
Tea Garden Eemnes is a particularly nice place beautifully situated among the meadows. You can have something to eat or drink in the greenhouses or in the cozy teahouse, and of course on the terrace in summer. A sense of tranquility is what prevails here. You'll find this hot spot on the edge of the Gooi, and even though it's a slight detour on the way to Hilversum, it's well worth the detour. A valuable tip from Hey Frits' book, but also definitely recommended from us to you.
Hilversum
The city of Hilversum is known for the many media based here, but the surroundings as well as the city itself offer all kinds of fun activities to do. Two great tips from Hey Frits' book are visiting Landgoed Zonnestraal and Kasteel-Museum Sypesteyn. We decided to go into the center of Hilversum ourselves because of the heavy rainfall, and took a table at Foodhall MOUT. An atmospheric place where you can order all kinds of diverse snacks and have drinks until late in the evening. There's even a brewery on the premises!
Hilversum City Apartments
Just outside the city center of Hilversum you will find the spacious apartments of Hilversum City Apartments. The ideal base for exploring the city and its surroundings. The apartments are fully equipped and offer you all the handles for a relaxing stay. The price per night averages around €100 per apartment.
Road trip day 3 - The Vecht region and the Loosdrecht lakes
Although this mini-roadtrip is only 3 days we feel like we have been away for a week. We've already seen and done so much, and to think it's not over yet. Before we return to Rotterdam, there are 2 more great places to visit!
The Loosdrecht Lakes
One of the most beautiful places in the Vecht region to unwind, walk, bike and/or sail is at the Loosdrechtse Plassen. Especially in the summer it is busy and bustling here, but also during the other seasons it is nice to come here.
A photogenic part of the Loosdrecht lakes is the Kievitsbuurt which consists of two large areas of legacies. You can actually only see these well from lunchtime, with a drone or from a plane, for example. A characteristic feature of this landscape is the alternation between the ponds, the migration holes and the legacies.
Restaurant Henry
Every time during this road trip you think "where did we end up now?", you'll end up with a special find from Hey Frits. Restaurant Henry in tiny Vreeland is a very good example of this. The pancake restaurant is located in a former coach house with a cozy terrace and a courtyard garden. Inside, the restaurant is decorated in an immense atmosphere with a classic yet hip look. Of course, the menu is full of delicious pancakes, but you will find many other goodies on it. For us, lunch at restaurant Hendrik was the ideal end to our road trip!
The book 12 short road trips through the Netherlands by Hey Frits
Manon van der Oort is a true explorer and shares on her account Hey Frits the best places in her own country. In keeping with that theme, she recently published her first book. With the 12 short road trips In the book she inspires not only us, but hopefully you as well, to get out and about in our own country. Because as we already know, Holland offers a lot of beautiful places that are worth exploring (during any time of the year!). The 12 road trips range from 2 to 5 days and are generally a combination of visiting cities and natural areas.
