According to a survey by the non-profit organisation Fietsplatform, the provinces of Friesland and Zeeland are the best regions in The Netherlands for biking.
Omrop Fryslan reports that the survey assessed the recreational offerings and quality of the bike paths in all of the Dutch provinces. The organisation awards stars to provinces based on their amenities, and Friesland and Zeeland both scored the maximum possible five stars.
According to a press release by Fietsplatform, Drenthe (along with North Brabant, Limburg, Utrecht and Gelderland) received four and a half stars, and Groningen received 4 – Flevoland earned 3.5, and the most densely populated provinces North Holland (3) and South Holland (2.5) brought up the rear. Overijssel did not participate in the survey.
The non-profit platform monitor evaluated the provinces by assessing their junctions and designated national cycling routes (marked by green LF signs) and the condition that the bike paths were in. The site introduced a half star system this year and recalibrated their criteria to focus more on aspects which provinces have more control over, for example the ease with which signs and route information can be spotted, as opposed to subjective factors like the natural landscape.
The monitor has been published semi-regularly since 2012, and according to the site, Dutch people pedal their way along 191 million kilometres of recreational cycling trips annually. The platform works together with a number of cycling, travel and tourism-related organisations. In 2018, Drenthe came in second place during a national vote conducted by Fietsen123 on the best cycling destination in the country.
