6. Tag: von Oud-Alblas nach Utrecht

We had already said goodbye to the North Sea and dunes yesterday - today we are going to the flat countryside, which was largely reclaimed from the water, initially with drainage ditches (around 1000 AD), then with the help of pumping windmills (from the 17th century) and steam-driven pumps (from the 19th century; with increasing pumping capacity in the 20th century, the usable area became larger and larger.

Wonderful cycling on the dikes in perfect weather:

Subtle houses along the dikes and lakes:

And canals everywhere, where hobby sailors take it easy.

In our destination today, Utrecht, there was nothing going on ...

Our accommodation, the Strowis Hostel, exudes the charm of minimalism that Kevelaer pilgrims have known from pilgrim hostels for over 40 years.

Nevertheless, Utrecht is a young city: over 35,000 students attend the largest university in the Netherlands - and pay tuition fees of over 2000 euros. It regularly appears in the ranking of the best universities in the world.

Many of the students find balance in the evening in the old town of Utrecht. All street cafes, pubs and other gastronomic attractions were crowded.

Our stage today is somewhat of a record: cycling over 60km (no, not really), but only covering 43 meters of altitude, that's only possible in the Netherlands.