Discover the Pearls of Holland on this mostly gentle circular cycling trip, starting and ending in the delightful city of Amsterdam with its UNESCO World Heritage canal ring area, its bustling squares and cultural hotspots, including the Anne Frank and Van Gogh museums. The varied countryside of Holland beckons with a mix of rectangular polders (low-lying land reclaimed from rivers and protected by dykes), woodland, country estates and wild gardens. Cycle through beautiful traditional villages, past windmills and farmhouses and on to the famous flower fields near Haarlem (visit in April and early May for the full effect of the blooms).As well as Amsterdam and the archetypal countryside of the Netherlands, you get to explore the cities of Haarlem, Leiden, Delft and Gouda, all with their own histories and cultural characters. Haarlem has a wealth of culture with the Frans Hals museum a must-see for art lovers with works from the Dutch Golden Age, as well as plenty of shopping, cafes and restaurants to choose from. The Keukenhof botanical gardens are worth a visit with over 7 million flowers in spring. Leiden is Holland's oldest university town and has a lively events calendar and canals, monuments windmills and museums offer some great sightseeing. Delft is world famous for its Delftware, the blue and white hand-painted pottery, but was also home to the artist Vermeer. Gouda, as well as being the venue for the famous summer cheese market (Thursday mornings April - August), has a fabulous, gothic town hall in the main square, romantic canals and even more food options with warm syrup waffles - perfect to try after a day of cycling. All the better to prepare you for the route back to Amsterdam.