The Motorcycle Podcast Route Rivers & Maasvlakte

A ride that starts in the polder, races through steel and harbor power, and ends among windmills and pancakes.
There are motorcycle rides that warm your heart with forests and babbling brooks. This is not one of those rides. This is a ride you feel in your gut. A ride that smells of river water, warm asphalt, diesel, sea breeze, and freshly mown polder. A ride that takes you through the beating heart of South Holland, where rivers meander and the Port of Rotterdam breathes like a gigantic beast.

This is a favorite route of Dennis from the Motor Podcast; he rides it with a big smile, and if you follow him, you understand exactly why. The route was discussed in episode 213.

We start at the parking lot near Starbucks and Burger King along the A12; after a late breakfast or early lunch, we roll into the polder. We drive past Montfoort and Oudewater, villages that still breathe the tranquility of yesteryear. The meadows lie flat as billiard tables, cows look up lazily, and ditches glisten like mirrors. The engine purrs contentedly.

We wind our way along the IJsseldijk-Noord, past Ouderkerk and Krimpen. Here, you can feel the river riding beside you. The water moves, the wind tugs at your coat, and the dike twists as if it were designed especially for motorcyclists. The houses stand high on the dike, as if they want to watch the motorcycles whizzing past.

At Kralingseplein, we turn onto the A16. The Van Brienenoord Bridge towers above you like a metal cathedral. Below you flows the Nieuwe Maas, traffic rushes around you, and the Rotterdam skyline stands as a backdrop of glass and steel. It is busy, it is big, it is impressive, and it feels like you are driving through a living machine.

At Botlek and Rozenburg, where the industrial heart beats, the ride changes character. Pipelines crisscross the air, factories steam, and the smell of oil hangs heavy but familiar. It is raw, but it has beauty—the beauty of human strength, engineering, and industriousness.

In the Neckarhaven, we stop at the Caland Canal Windscreen, designed to protect large, wind-sensitive seagoing vessels from the strong crosswinds at the narrow passage of the Caland Bridge. A surreal backdrop of 25-meter-high concrete semi-circular giants standing by the harbor like sentinels, silent yet imposing. Your motorcycle suddenly seems small, but that is precisely what makes the photos fantastic.

We cross the Hartel Canal, where push barges carrying ore and coal glide towards Germany. The water is brackish, you can feel the tide, and the Hartel Barrier stands like a modern gatekeeper. The wind is different here: briny, strong, honest.

Then comes the highlight: the Maasvlakte. A place where the Netherlands pushed back the sea and said: here we are building a port. The horizon is wide. The sky is open. The wind is strong. And the engine feels like it is coming home here.

We stop at Slufterstrand, where kite-surfers cut through the air and ships glide past like floating skyscrapers. The air smells of sea, sand, and freedom. Those who wish can visit Portlandis further along, a futuristic museum that feels like a harbor engine room. You look out over terminals, dunes, and the sea. It is a place you won't forget.

At Het Balkon van Europa, we grab a quick snack at Smikkel-Inn: fries with a view of the world. You sit there overlooking the harbor mouth, where ships sail out into the North Sea. It is a place where you fall silent for a moment or, conversely, take lots of photos.

After all that steel and water, we dive back into nature. We drive back east via Oostvoorne and Rockanje. This part of South Holland is characterized by dunes, forests, and beaches. The air is softer, the wind milder, and the scent greener. The contrast with the Maasvlakte is delightful. A visit to Rockanje is an option.

We pass the Protestant Church of Oudenhoorn, surrounded by water and history. The foundation dates back to 1363, the facade to 1669, and the building breathes centuries of stories. It is the kind of place where your engine wants to stop for a moment.

We drive towards Spijkenisse and cross the Spijkenisse Bridge. A bridge that was once the key to trade, agriculture, and connectivity. You can feel the history beneath your wheels. Via the A15, we drive to Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht and cross the Bridge over the Noord. A bridge that survived WWII because it did not appear on German maps. It is a detail that makes you pause for thought.

We drive along the dike to Kinderdijk, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where nineteen windmills from 1740 turn their sails as if time has never stood still. Kinderdijk is peace, water, history—a perfect place to get off for a moment, look, and breathe.

We follow the Lek towards Vianen and end up at Pancake Farm De Ponthoeve. A place with a view of the river, cows in the barn, and pancakes that taste like you’ve earned them.