Lelystads Most Beautiful

At the Oostvaardersplassen outdoor centre, mount your bike and discover Lelystad’s highlights. The ‘Lelystad’s Mooiste’; a 35-kilometre cycling route that guides you past attractive areas of natural beauty, as well as city highlights such as Werkeiland, the Batavia quarter and the Lelystad Nature Park.
Lelystad is a city full of space with ample room to wind down to enjoy the natural environment, clearly visible and represented in every aspect of the city. Space for excitement and relaxation, underpinned by easily accessible cycling routes offering some wonderful bike trips. Mount your bike to discover the wealth of beauty that is Lelystad.

Oostvaardersplassen
The route’s starting point immediately hands you a unique and enticing prospect. The wild marshy area paints an excellent image of the Dutch landscape as it was thousands of years ago. The wide stretches of water and rugged grasslands open up ample space for large grazing herbivores and countless birds.

Werkeiland
Experience Lelystad’s history at Werkeiland, the work island from where Lely, the celebrated civil engineer, launched his audacious plan to reclaim much-needed land from the water. For East Flevoland, this is the spot where it all began; the long arduous process of morphing into dry polder. Breathe in the rich and fascinating history, whilst cycling past the Wortman pumping station and the original workers’ barrack accommodation. Sense the astonishing water pressure of the level differences at the sluice.

Batavia quarter
The Batavia quarter presents innumerable opportunities. With over 250 recognised brands, Batavia Stad Fashion Outlet is a genuine shopping paradise for the discerning bargain hunter. Visit Batavialand and immerse yourself in the Netherlands’ national history, feel that history in the museum, the boatyard and aboard the reconstruction of the Batavia, the old Dutch East India Company ship.

The promenade at Batavia port is a great place to relax and catch your breath, whilst indulging in something delicious to eat and drink, not-to-say meditating on the views out over the water. Up for some extra kilometres? Why not take a closer look at Exposure, one of the Netherlands’ largest pieces of land art. This 26-metre-high ‘crouching man’ by artist Antony Gormley consists of 1800 unique individual profile pieces. A close-up view rewards with an even more impressive image.

Beach and woods
Lelystad is one of the Netherlands’ largest local council areas, due in part to the extent of water and nature within its boundaries. Did you know that Lelystad council’s area consists of two-thirds water? This is beautifully symbolised by the Houtribhoek beach and the Zuigerplas woods. The Houtribhoek beach serves up some wonderful views out over the IJsselmeer lake. Meanwhile, close by is the Zuigerplas woods, which came into being when sand was extracted to create the dyke bordering the IJsselmeer. The green treescape of the Zuigerplas woods presents a wealth of grassy fields, copses, bushes and thickets; a verdant variety that entices many small songbirds to make the woods their home. In the summer months the fields attract thousands of colourful butterflies.

Lelystad city centre
The route continues through the heart of Lelystad city. This is where you’ll discover numerous examples of outstanding architecture, clearly expressing Lelystad’s relative ‘youth’ and symbolising its open attitude. This is a place where anything is possible and the striking Agora Theatre and Zilverparkkade are just a couple of prime examples. The Agora Theatre’s diamond formed orange structure was designed by Ben van Berkel, who also designed Rotterdam’s famous Erasmus Bridge among many other impressive projects. Extraordinary architecture with ample space, light and luxury were the starting points for the Zilverparkkade, resulting in offices and residential towers that vary widely in architectural attitude and style, the distinct work of numerous different architects.

Lelystad nature park
Cycle through the Lelystad nature park and meet red deer, Przewalski horses or even elk. Nowhere else do these three beautiful animals live in such close proximity. Lelystad nature park is the ultimate location to experience space, peace and quiet and Flevoland’s beautiful nature.
If you wish to know more about the various attractions along the way, have a look at www.vvvlelystad.nl