The ‘Route de Lodewijk Napoléon’ is a cycling route (55 km) with a royal touch. Namely, you follow the footsteps of the First King of Holland. During Louis’ time in power between 1806 and 1810, he laid the foundations for many things we still benefit from today. For instance, Louis introduced accessible education for all and founded the Royal Library and the later Rijksmuseum, among other things. During his reign, Lodewijk also visited the Barneveld region. So get on your bike and set off with King Lodewijk Napoléon.
Lodewijk De Goede, as his nickname was, took the initiative in 1809 to pave the dirt road Amersfoort, via Terschuur, Voorthuizen, Garderen to Het Loo Palace in Apeldoorn. Something we still benefit from today. The route starts at Gasterij Zondag in Garderen, also at the time an ideal location for a stopover with the carriage. Princes are also known to have made a stopover at other locations. One reminder of this is a bust of Louis Napoléon at hotel-restaurant de Echoput.
