Leiden - Gouda Tour

The Groene Hart ('Green Heart') is the nature reserve located between the major cities of the Randstad. On the map, it looks like a green oasis between Rotterdam, Amsterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht. This is where you cruise through. Leiden is the starting city: home to the oldest university in the Netherlands (1575), Rembrandt's birthplace, and canals without the Amsterdam crowds. Then, the route takes you through classic polder land: cows, windmills, and flat cheese country. Finally, you reach Gouda – the cheese capital with its famous Thursday cheese market in the summer. The route is short (45 km), but there is so much to see along the way: the windmills of Kinderdijk (UNESCO!), the historic harbor of Alphen, and the old center of Bodegraven. Take your time. Hard Facts: No license required • Several bridges • Thursday = Gouda Cheese Market! • Best time: April-September • Kinderdijk = UNESCO (worth the detour!)