Our trips Video and Pics Cycling Walking About us News Bethlehem route In july 2006 i walked the Bethlehem route. A by the ANWB signposted route of 6 kilometer starting at the foothbridge over the Kromme Mijdrecht river. The name Bethlehem is borrowed from a farm dating back to 1885 situated at Amstelkade 61. It is a T-house-farm with livingquarters squared to the stables and hay attic. At the frontdoor you can see a doorstep which was used in the old days when the river Kromme Mijdrecht flooded, the farmers could leave the house without getting water inside. The farm is run by a foundation that creates work for mental handicapped people since 1998. They run a complete recreation company you can drink coffee here, they have a minicampground, petting zoo and you can rent boats and bicycles here. More about the campground (in dutch) http://www.amstelkade.nl The route starts at the foothbridge over the Kromme Mijdrecht river. With your back to the river go left along the river. At your righthand you will see a summerhouses. The first road right also goes in between summerhouses. At the next crossroad right you are at the back of the summerhouses park. During the nice sundaymorning i walked here it was pretty busy with cars. But with trees to our left and a small stream at our right it is a nice road. The road makes a left turn and this is where we get a first glimps of the polder. The polder is at 5,3 m below sealevel, while the upperland (bovenland in dutch), the part where no peat was won, is at 1.5 m below sealevel. This road is called Molenland, the first road to your right is the Bovendijk (Upperdike). At the low side of this road ios a bicycle path, because there is a lot of traffic it is better to walk on the cyclingpath. That is a pitty because you Bovenland can't see the upperland very well from here. We pass a few farms and again a park with summerhouses. And then we cross the road and go over a small bridge into a green meadow. The grasspath is not open during spring (untill july) because of the birds with eggs. Begin july the grass is tall and sometimes i have to struggle through the grass stalks. The path through the meadow ends at the farm Bethlehem. If you like you can drink something in the garden. I brought my own drinks so i walked on. To the right along the banks of the Kromme Mijdrecht, untill we arrive again at the foothbridge. The route was not entirely what i expected of it. Too many summerhouses and tourists around. The grasspath was the only part that was really nice to walk, but that path was only 1 km. An alternative route can be the Noordse buurt route. It is at the other end of the foothbridge in the direction of the Noordse Buurt. You will follow the dike, even when the cyclepath stops. That route is a bit longer though: 11 km...... Just follow the yellow and red markers. The ANWB made a pamflet about the Bethlehem route. Here is a pdf file.(dutch) Our travels Video and Pics Cycling Walking About us News