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Netherlands
No Tours Scheduled for 2003
We have been running our Netherlands Tour since 1997 and, since
then, have run 18 tours in this fantastic country! In 2002 The Netherlands was our top-rated tour
location. Nevertheless, in 2003 we won't run a tour there.
Why? We get so many repeat skaters on our tours that many of our regulars have already been
with us to The Netherlands!
The Netherlands is the perfect place for inline skating, an outstanding example of European
life, and a whole lot of fun. The provinces of North Holland and Friesland are virtually flat,
criss-crossed with bicycle paths, and teeming with rural beauty.
With quaint, pristine towns and an abundance of windmills and busy seaports, the culture is
inviting and undeniably Dutch. One third of the country is below sea level, making the numerous
dikes and canals an integral part of the landscape. The area appears much the same as when it was
so beautifully captured by 17th Century Dutch painters. We skate from village to village, allowing
plenty of time throughout the day to visit the many museums, snap photos of windmills and 15th
Century churches, or sample the rich cheeses (such as the creamy Gouda) of the area.
Our Tours begin in the lovely port town of Enkuizen on the western side of the Ijsselmeer, the
large body of water that separates North Holland from Friesland. Enkhuizen is a city with a past –
and we get to hear it all on our after-dinner historical walking tour of the town. From there, we
skate on top of scenic dikes and then ferry across the Ijsselmeer – formerly part of the North Sea
but closed off by a 20-mile-long dike in 1932 – to Friesland. We pause from our skate to visit the
Schaatsmuseum (skating museum) in the town of Hindeloopen, home of our 78-year-old Dutch guide and
national skating legend Willem Augustin.
We spend the next four days in the vicinity of the famous Elfstedentocht or Eleven Cities Tour
(a grueling one-day January ice skating race held only when the canals have ice six inches thick).
We enjoy European-style inns and unique dishes such as Pannekoeken and Rijs Tafel.
We begin all our Netherlands tours on Saturday, allowing you the option to participate in the
Amsterdam Friday Night Skate either before or after the tour. The Friday Night Skate attracts
around 1000 skaters each week in an exciting, non-competitive roll through the city streets. We
highly recommend it as an extension to your vacation! Although we will not run our Netherlands Tour
in 2003, keep it in mind for 2004. It was our highest-rated tour last year and is always one of the
favorites of our guides.
See our Netherlands
Frequently Asked Questions
page or this
article
by a Netherlands customer for more information. |
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