February 23, 2024

Van Gogh Drenthe is
Cycle Route of the Year 2024

 'Van Gogh Drenthe Cycle Routes' has been chosen as Cycle Route of the Year 2024. The jury announced this on the first day of the Fiets en Wandelbeurs in Jaarbeurs Utrecht in the Netherlands.

The Van Gogh Cycle Routes consist of three loops of a total of 150 kilometers. These can be ridden in combination with each other, but also separately. The routes introduce you to the beautiful primeval landscape that the artist was inspired by. You cycle through playful fields with old green villages, forests and swampy peat areas, where nature is allowed to take its course again.

Excellent quality

The jury was pleasantly surprised by the excellent quality of this cycle route in their own country. The route takes you over a striking number of cycle paths and offers a lot of variety. The theme comes to life through beautiful see-through panels and a fascinating route booklet, full of stories about Vincent and the times in which he lived.

Other sights

Other plus points are the many other sights from the history of Drenthe, such as the oil pumps of Schoonebeek and Veenloopcentrum Weiteveen. You will also come across plenty of catering establishments along the route. A nice addition is the recently reopened Van Gogh Huis Drenthe, where you can see Vincent's studio. “Attention has been paid to every detail,” said the jury, “even the signage brings the cyclist completely into the Vincent van Gogh atmosphere.”

Five nominees

The Van Gogh Cycle Routes Drenthe was chosen from five nominees. The other nominees are: La Vélobuissonnière in France, the Lech Radweg in Germany and Austria, the Cykelleden Skane in Sweden and the Unionsleden in Norway and Sweden. The jury, consisting of Bert Sitters, Jessica de Korte and Mirre Oost, cycled all these nominated routes to assess them based on a large number of criteria such as signage, facilities, quality of information, etc.

The election of the Cycle Route of the Year is an initiative of the Fiets en Wandelbeurs, which aims to stimulate the development of high-quality routes. New or recently changed routes in Europe are eligible for this.