LF-routes

LF-Routes (Landelijke Fietsroutes, Dutch for countrywide cycling routes) are long-distance cycling routes that form a network in the Netherlands and Belgium. The routes, criss-crossing both countries, are primarily intended for recreational multi-day bike tours, such as cycling holidays. Some routes are also part of a wider international network.

Most of the LF routes have been signposted in two directions, inscribing one direction with the letter "a", the other with the letter "b": the North Sea Route LF1 southbound from Den Helder to French Boulogne-sur-Mer is called LF1a, while in the other direction it is called LF1b.

History

In 1987, Dutch cyclists' organisations founded a "countrywide cycling platform" to create a network of long-distance cycling routes throughout the Netherlands. This platform published maps and guides and started signposting its routes in 1990.

Belgium introduced its first long-distance route, not yet called "LF" by that time, in 1964: it connected youth hostels and was therefore called Jeugdherbergenroute, which later became the LF50. Belgium signposted its first LF-route in 1990 as well (the LF1 North Sea Route) and two years later, the GR organisation took over the planning of Belgian LF-routes.

At the maximum extent, both countries had created a network of 36 routes, of which 5 were only in Belgium, 15 in the Netherlands and 16 in both. Some routes also extend into France and Germany. However, due to the expansion of the cycle node network Belgium reduced its official network in 2012 (routes marked [Note 1]) and the Netherlands is doing the same between 2017 and 2021 (routes marked [Note 2]).

Routes

Route number	Name	Start & end points	Length	Connections [1]
LF1	Noordzeeroute (North Sea Route)	Den Helder - Boulogne-sur-Mer (France)	470 km [2]	Callantsoog: LF10 Schoorl: LF7 Haarlem: LF20 The Hague: LF4, LF11 Hook of Holland: LF12 Flushing: LF13 Breskens: LF30, LF39 Sluis: LF51 Damme: LF5 Blankenberge: LF52 Ostend: LF511 Veurne: LF6 Diksmuide: LF6, LF53
LF2	Stedenroute (Cities' Route)	Amsterdam - Brussels	337 km [3]	Amsterdam: LF7, LF20, LF21, LF23 Alphen aan den Rijn: LF4 Rotterdam: LF11 Dordrecht: LF11, LF12 Moerdijk: LF11 Roosendaal: LF13, LF50 Antwerp: LF51 Boom: LF5, LF56 Leuven: LF6, LF57, RVU Brussels: LF56, RV1, RV4, RV10
LF3	Rietlandroute (Reed bed Route) Hanzeroute (Hanseatic League Route) [Note 2] Maasroute (River Maas Route)	Holwerd - Kampen Kampen - Millingen aan de Rijn Millingen - Maastricht	535 km [4]	Holwerd: LF10, ferry to Ameland Heerenveen: LF20 Kampen: LF15, LF22, LF23 Zwolle: LF9, LF15, LF16 Deventer: LF19 Bronkhorst: LF4 Arnhem: LF4 Groesbeek: LF12 Venlo: LF13 Roermond: LF5 Maastricht: LF6, RV7
LF4 [Note 2]	Midden-Nederlandroute (Middle of the Netherlands Route)	The Hague - Enschede	290 km [4]	The Hague: LF1, LF11 Alphen aan den Rijn: LF2 Utrecht: LF7, LF9 Doorn: LF17 Arnhem: LF3 Bronkhorst: LF3 Borculo: LF8 Enschede: LF14, LF15
LF5	Vlaanderen Fietsroute (Flanders Cycle Route) (North)	Damme - Roermond	320 km [5][4]	Damme: LF1 Bruges: LF511 Aalter: LF39 Ghent: LF30, LF53 Dendermonde: LF38 Temse: LF38 Boom: LF2, LF56 Lier: LF550 Zandhoven: LF50, LF51, LF557 Zoersel: LF9, LF50, LF557 Turnhout: LF35 Mol: LF35 Lommel: LF51 Neerpelt: LF57 Thorn: LF7, LF58 Roermond: LF3
LF6	Vlaanderen Fietsroute (South)	Diksmuide - Aachen (Germany)	400 km [6][4]	Diksmuide: LF1, LF53 Ypres: LF39 Kortrijk: LF52 Bossuit: RV8 Kluisbergen: LF30, RV8 Geraardsbergen: LF38, RV3 Halle: RV1 Uccle: RV10 Huldenberg: RV4 Leuven: LF2, LF57, RVU Hoegaarden: RV2 Zoutleeuw: LF35 Riemst: LF50 Kanne: LF7 Maastricht: LF3, RV7
LF7	Oeverlandroute (River Bank Route)	Schoorl - Maastricht	435 km [7]	Schoorl: LF1 Alkmaar: LF15 Amsterdam: LF2, LF20, LF21, LF23 Utrecht: LF4, LF9 Leerdam: LF17 's-Hertogenbosch: LF12 Best: LF13 Eindhoven: LF51 Mierlo: LF13 Thorn: LF5, LF58 Kanne: LF6
LF8 [Note 2]	n/a	Ommen - Winterswijk	100 km [4]	Ommen: LF14, LF16 Holten: LF15, LF19 Borculo: LF4
LF9 [Note 2]	NAP-route (Amsterdam Ordnance Datum Route)	Bad Nieuweschans - Zoersel	505 km [8]	Bad Nieuweschans: LF10 Groningen: LF14, LF20 Zwolle: LF3, LF15, LF16 Elburg: LF23 Spakenburg: LF23 Utrecht: LF4, LF7 Gorinchem: LF17 Woudrichem: LF12 Breda: LF11, LF13 Loenhout: LF50 Zoersel: LF5, LF50, LF557
LF10	Waddenzeeroute (Wadden Sea Route)	Callantsoog - Bad Nieuweschans	275 km [4]	Callantsoog: LF1 Den Oever: LF21 Kornwerderzand: LF21, LF22 Holwerd: LF3 Lauwersoog: LF14, ferry to Schiermonnikoog Bad Nieuweschans: LF9
LF11 [Note 2]	Prinsenroute (Princes' Route)	The Hague - Breda	125 km [4]	The Hague: LF1, LF4 Vlaardingen: LF12 Rotterdam: LF2 Dordrecht: LF2, LF12 Moerdijk: LF2 Breda: LF9, LF13
LF12	Maas- en Vestingroute (River Maas and Fortresses Route)	Hook of Holland - Groesbeek	220 km [4]	Hook of Holland: LF1 Vlaardingen: LF11 Dordrecht: LF2, LF11 Woudrichem: LF9 's-Hertogenbosch: LF7 Groesbeek: LF3
LF13 [Note 2]	Schelde-Rheinroute (Scheldt-Rhine Route)	Flushing - Venlo	290 km [4]	Flushing: LF1 Roosendaal: LF2, LF50 Breda: LF9, LF11 Alphen: LF35 Best: LF7 Mierlo: LF7 Venlo: LF3
LF14 [Note 2]	Saksenroute (Saxons' Route)	Lauwersoog - Enschede	240 km [4]	Lauwersoog: LF10, ferry to Schiermonnikoog Groningen: LF9, LF20 Hardenberg: LF16 Ommen: LF8, LF16 Enschede: LF4, LF15
LF15 [Note 2]	Boerenlandroute (Farmland Route)	Alkmaar - Enschede	260 km [4]	Alkmaar: LF7 Enkhuizen: LF21 Lelystad: LF20 Kampen: LF3, LF22, LF23 Zwolle: LF9, LF16 Holten: LF8, LF19 Enschede: LF4, LF14
LF16	Vechtdalroute (Vecht Valley Route)	Zwolle - Darfeld (Germany)	230 km [4]	Zwolle: LF9, LF15 Ommen: LF8, LF14 Hardenberg: LF14
LF17	n/a	Gorinchem - Doorn	60 km [4]	Gorinchem: LF9 Leerdam: LF7 Doorn: LF4
LF19	n/a	Deventer - Holten	35 km [4]	Deventer: LF3 Holten: LF8, LF15
LF20 [Note 2]	Flevoroute	Haarlem - Groningen	265 km [4]	Haarlem: LF1 Amsterdam: LF2, LF7, LF21, LF23 Naarden: LF23 Lelystad: LF15 Lemmer: LF22 Heerenveen: LF3 Groningen: LF9, LF14
LF21	Zuiderzeeroute (West)	Amsterdam - Afsluitdijk	150 km [4]	Amsterdam: LF2, LF7, LF20, LF23 Enkhuizen: LF15 Den Oever: LF10 Kornwerderzand: LF10, LF22
LF22	Zuiderzeeroute (East)	Afsluitdijk - Kampen	130 km [4]	Kornwerderzand: LF10 Lemmer: LF20 Kampen: LF3, LF15, LF23
LF23	Zuiderzeeroute (South)	Kampen - Amsterdam	130 km [4]	Kampen: LF3, LF15, LF22 Elburg: LF9 Spakenburg: LF9 Naarden: LF20 Amsterdam: LF2, LF7, LF20, LF21
LF30	Schelde-Deltaroute (Scheldt-Delta Works route)	Breskens - Kluisbergen	150 km [9]	Breskens: LF1, LF39 Hulst: LF38 Wachtebeke: LF51 Ghent: LF5, LF53 Kluisbergen: LF6, RV8
LF35	Kempen-Haspengouwroute (Campine-Hesbaye Route)	Tilburg - Zoutleeuw	128 km [10]	Alphen: LF13 Turnhout: LF5 Mol: LF5 Dessel: LF51 Diest: LF50, LF57, LF58 Zoutleeuw: LF6
LF38	Dender-Waaslandroute	Hulst - Geraardsbergen	100 km [11]	Sint-Gillis-Waas: LF51 Temse: LF5 Dendermonde: LF5 Geraardsbergen: LF6, RV3
LF39 [Note 1]	Flandriensroute	Breskens - Wattignies (France)	203 km [12]	Breskens: LF1, LF30 Kaprijke: LF51 Aalter: LF5 Tielt: LF52, LF53 Ypres: LF6
LF50 [Note 1]	Jeugdherbergenroute (Youth Hostel Route)	Bergen op Zoom - Voeren	237 km [13]	Roosendaal: LF2, LF13 Loenhout: LF9 Zoersel: LF5, LF9, LF557 Zandhoven: LF5, LF51, LF557 Nijlen: LF550, LF557 Diest: LF35, LF57, LF58 Riemst: LF6 Visé: RV7 Voeren: RV4
LF51	Kempenroute (Campine Route) Gravejansroute (Earl John's Route) [Note 1]	Eindhoven - Antwerp Antwerp - Zeebrugge	120 km [14] +126 km	Eindhoven: LF7 Valkenswaard: LF57 Lommel: LF5 Dessel: LF35 Zandhoven: LF5, LF50, LF557 Antwerp: LF2 Sint-Gillis-Waas: LF38 Wachtebeke: LF30 Kaprijke: LF39 Sint-Laureins: LF511 Sluis: LF1 Zeebrugge: LF52
LF52 [Note 1]	Guldensporenroute (Golden Spurs Route)	Zeebrugge - Kortrijk	128 km [15]	Zeebrugge: LF51 Blankenberge: LF1 Jabbeke: LF511 Tielt: LF39, LF53 Kortrijk: LF6
LF53[Note 1]	Artevelderoute	De Panne - Ghent	134 km [16]	De Panne: LF511 Diksmuide: LF1, LF6 Tielt: LF39, LF52 Ghent: LF5, LF30
LF56[Note 1]	n/a	Boom - Halle	48 km [17]	Boom: LF2, LF5 Brussels: LF56, RV1, RV4, RV10 Halle: LF6, RV1
LF57[Note 1]	Spiekelspaderoute [Note 3]	Leuven - Valkenswaard	101 km [18]	Leuven: LF2, LF6, RVU Sint-Joris-Winge: LF557 Diest: LF35, LF50, LF58 Neerpelt: LF5 Valkenswaard: LF51
LF58[Note 1]	Donderslagroute	Diest - Thorn	? km	Diest: LF35, LF50 Thorn: LF5, LF7 Valkenswaard: LF51
LF511[Note 1]	Gravejansroute	De Panne - Sint-Laureins	83 km	De Panne: LF53 Ostend: LF1 Jabbeke: LF52 Bruges: LF5 Sint-Laureins: LF51
LF550[Note 1]	Verbindingsroute (Link route)	Lier - Nijlen	7 km	Lier: LF5 Nijlen: LF50
LF557[Note 1]	Troonroute (Throne route)	Zoersel - Sint-Joris-Winge	50 km	Zoersel: LF5, LF9, LF50 Zandhoven: LF5, LF50, LF51, LF557 Sint-Joris-Winge: LF57

Tours from combined LF-Routes

Although a network like the Belgo-Dutch LF routes enable almost endless combinations of sections, a few themed routes have been officially established:

Name	Description	Start & end points	Length
Nederlandse Kustroute (Dutch Coastal Route)	Dutch sections of the LF1 and LF10 form the Dutch section of EuroVelo 12, the North Sea Cycle Route.	Sluis - Bad Nieuweschans	570 km [4]
Maasfietsroute (Maas River cycle route)	LF3, LF12, (LF2, LF11)	Maastricht - Hoek van Holland	430 km [4]
Rijnfietsroute (Rhine River Cycle Route)	Sections of the LF12, LF11, LF17, LF4 and LF3. It is part of EuroVelo 15 (the International Rhine Cycle Route) which takes you through Germany, France and Switzerland to the source of the River Rhine.	Millingen - Hook of Holland	270 km [4] LF6 and LF7.	(tour)	600 km
Zuiderzeeroute	LF21, LF22 and LF23 form the Zuiderzee Route (Zuiderzeeroute)	(tour)	405 km [4]
Vlaanderen Fietsroute (Tour of the Flemish region)	A round tour of the Flemish region, consisting of sections of the LF1, LF5,
Ronde van Nederland (Tour of the Netherlands)	A round tour of the Netherlands following sections of LF routes closest to the border: LF1, LF10, LF14, LF16, LF4, LF3, LF7, LF13.	(tour)	1300 km [4]
Rondje Twente (Tour of Twente) [Note 2]	Sections of the LF14, LF15 and LF8.	(tour)	175 km [4]

See also

• EuroVelo
• German Cycling Network, the national cycling route network of Germany
• National Cycle Network, the national cycling route network of the United Kingdom

Notes

1. In a major network revision in 2012, these routes were taken out of the official network: "Geel-blauw verdwijnt". groteroutepaden.be (in Dutch). 1 September 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
2. In a major network revision between 2017 and 2021, these routes will be taken out of the official network: "LF routes to undergo overhaul". Holland-cycling.com. 9 December 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
3. Named after Spiekelspade, a former hamlet in Hechtel-Eksel

References

1. For the Netherlands: based on the map on "LF-routes". Nederland Fietsland. Retrieved 16 February 2017. For Belgium: "LF-routes". Vélo Ravel. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
2. "LF 1 North Sea Route - Flanders Cycle Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
3. "LF 2 Cities Route - Flanders". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
4. "GPS tracks". hollandcyclingroutes.com. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
5. "LF 5 Flanders Cycle Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
6. "LF 6 Flanders Cycle Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
7. "LF 7 Flanders Cycle Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
8. "LF 9 NAP-Route". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
9. "LF 30 Scheldt-Deltaroute - Flanders". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
10. "LF 35 Campina-Haspengouwroute". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.. Distance Tilburg-Baarle: 18km following the old train tracks.
11. "LF 38 Dender-Waaslandroute". groteroutepaden.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
12. "LF 39 Flandriensroute". reisroutes.be. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
13. "LF 50 Jeugdherbergenroute". Routeyou.com. Retrieved 16 February 2017.
14. "LF 51 Kempenroute - Flanders". groteroutepaden.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2017.
15. "LF 52 Guldensporenroute". reisroutes.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2017.
16. "LF 53 Artevelderoute". reisroutes.be (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2017.
17. Following the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and the Brussels–Scheldt Maritime Canal
18. "LF 57". Toerisme Vlaanderen. Retrieved 16 February 2017.

External links

• Long-distance cycle routes on Nederland Fietsland website
• National LF network on Holland-Cycling.com