Literally node, the Dutch word knooppunt is also used to refer to road junction. The system called numbered junction network, or numbered junctions, is a way of cataloging and classifying bicycle routes based on the intersections between knooppunten.

How the system was born and developed

The first numbered intersection network was born in 1995 in Belgium‘s Flemish province of Limburg, from the mind of Hugo Bollen, a former mining engineer re-employed in the local tourist office.
Bollen thought of applying to tourism the orientation system that was used to untangle the various mine shafts. A revolutionary idea that was immediately successful: its use quickly spread to all five provinces of Flanders.
In 1999, the first signal appeared in the Netherlands, in the Dutch province of the same name in cross-border Limburg, and it was not until 2014 that the Netherlands came to cover the entire country with knooppunten.
The system also gradually spread to northern Germany, the border regions with the Netherlands and Belgium, and some areas in Wallonia, the French provinces of Belgium.

What needs does the node system meet

Basically, it was created to facilitate orientation in a country where the bicycle network is extensive and where the toponymy makes it particularly difficult to disentangle village names that are complicated to pronounce and even less to remember.
The system is intuitive: each intersection is assigned an identifier and a panel showing the area with neighboring points. In this way, each cyclist is free to determine his or her own route with much flexibility and without the risk of getting lost.

It is a system that integrates the long-distance routes, called LF Routes in the Netherlands and Belgium, with the Junction Routes, or the network of local routes numbered with the junction system.

The goal is to go capillary to enhance all the smaller territories outside the major routes.
These are in fact designed to connect from point “a” to point “b” only the country’s major tourist attractions, thus leaving a large portion of the country uncovered.

Then there is a third category, which are the thematic itineraries: daily routes that are interconnected with the previous ones, but have an identifying theme that may be related to a painter (the Van Gogh itinerary), a Nature Park or a theme that is identified in the name itself (the Mill Route, the WWII WWII itinerary, etc… ).

Let’s look in detail at these different types of routes.

1. The routes and long distance: LF Routes
They are routes of national interest, designed for multi-day touring vacations. They connect the most important cities and areas of the country and are interconnected with each other. The LF acronym stands for “Langeafstand Fietsroutes”, which translated means precisely long-distance bicycle routes.
They are often sections of cross-border routes with neighboring countries.
The North Sea Cycle Route (LF1), the Amsterdam – Brussels Cycle Route (LF2) and the Meuse Cycle Route (LF3), are interconnected with Belgium; the Rhine Cycle Route (LF4) and the northern section of the North Sea Cycle Route (LF10) are interconnected with Germany. All together they count about 3,900 km of mapped and cataloged routes in the Netherlands alone. They are identified by rectangular section signs bearing the letters LF + the number of the cyclovia combined with the letter “a” if proceeding from north to south or west to east or combined with the letter “b” if proceeding from south to north or east to west. There are about 20 long-distance routes catalogued, some in the process of being redefined. Their length varies from 50 to 400 or more kilometers.

2. Thematic itineraries
They are daily routes daisy-chained, normally long 30 to 50 km identified by hexagonal signs which bear the name of the route. The themes can be many and are easily guessed from their names: Van Gogh route, Liberation route, Molenroute (the Mills route), etc. Although many thematic routes with hexagonal signs still exist, with the appearance of the numbered intersection system, their number has gradually decreased.

The system of numbered intersections

As anticipated in the introduction, the system of “nodes,” or numbered intersections, covers the entire territory of the Netherlands and Flanders. At each intersection between one bicycle route and another is assigned a number identifier and at the same one there is also a panel with a map of orientation showing nearby intersection nodes, also indicating the kilometric distances partial distances between one node and another. At each intersection there is thus a choice among multiple routes to be able to follow.

The routes are designed with tourism in mind: the shortest route to a destination is not necessarily indicated, but the most beautiful route.
When the cyclist stays within the network, he or she has the confidence that those routes were selected because they are the most striking and the safest the area has to offer.

This network connects together towns and small villages, natural parks and any small emergence that may have a historical-artistic interest. One can sense with immediacy how this system enhances the entire territory with capillarity, which is not always the case with traditional online itineraries. With the latter, those who plan routes are always forced to make choices, inevitably going to favor some territories, leaving others out.

In the case of the Netherlands and Flanders, which are countries with a dense network of bicycle paths, routes are mainly developed using these arteries but this is not always the case. Where there are no bike lanes in their own lanes, the minor road network is exploited, going to use roads with low traffic intensity and country trails. They were born signals characteristic that appear at each point of intersection: the orientation panel and the directions to reach the next points.

There are also the approach signals along the route that warn when the next intersection point is being approached. “U nadert knooppunt” in fact means “you are approaching the intersection point.”

The strength: flexibility and modularity

The numbered intersection system is particularly suitable for daily routes. Risponde alle needs of a settled tourist Who stays several days in the same location. Its strength is the flexibility and modularity. Se non si vuole seguire un percorso prestabilito, il sistema degli incroci numerati dà la possibilità al turista di design his own itinerary according to his needs and to modify it at any time During the day: are you running late? Is it raining? Through this system one can find the shortest way back. Conversely: do you have a few extra hours to spare? Is it a nice day and you want to travel a few extra kilometers? This can also be done very easily.

Another advantage of the node system is the complementarity it creates between the national routes long-distance routes and the network of local routes, thus transforming the area into a complete cycling tourism destination, which manages to offer a response to every type of user, from the sportsman to the family with children.

In this view there is no longer a need to go and create a multiplicity of predefined itineraries. Questi, a volte, coincidono tra loro per lunghi tratti, creando una sovrapposizione di pannelli informativi e cartelli stradali, ognuno con un proprio logo e propri standard. Il vantaggio del sistema dei nodi interconnessi è che Allows the expansion of the network of bicycle routes patchy. With great ease one territory can expand to neighboring ones at all times and in any direction. Sarà sufficiente mappare e catalogare i nuovi numeri di interconnessione allacciandosi a quelli esistenti. Come succede spesso anche in Olanda i numeri di intersezione possono anche ripetersi più volte senza creare interferenze, purché siano ad una distanza ragionevole gli uni dagli altri.

How to create your own itinerary

Bicycle touring maps
Planning your itinerary before you leave is extremely simple. There are some Regional Cycling Maps which show the node system. Generally these maps are at a scale of 1:50,000 and are for sale in all tourist offices but can also be purchased in advance online. It is sufficient to take note of the sequence of numbers and that’s it. Special notes, created especially for this purpose, are being distributed in tourist offices. They attach to the bike handlebars on a plasticized holder that also protects from rain.

Route planners
The second method of planning, is that of the numerous Web portals that make available a Route Planner by means of which one can easily design the route according to one’s needs, analyze the characteristics technical features of the route (length, elevation profile, terrain), print and take the selected itinerary with you or download it to your phone to view it via one of the dedicated apps.

Here are the steps in sequence:

1. It begins to drawing the path. Si possono unire in successione i singoli nodi oppure selezionare due punti distanti e il programma comporrà automaticamente il percorso più logico. Nella barra di destra compare la sequenza degli incroci selezionati e il totale parziale dei chilometri.
2. The following can be added to the map points of interest such as accommodations, restaurants, monuments, etc.
3. You can check route information: how many kilometers are covered on paved roads, dirt roads, or cobblestones (in the case of Belgium). You can check the elevation profile and information on points of interest.
4. Once the route is final you can save, download the gpx tracks, get the QR code to view it on your smartphone and share it with other people

Not just bikes: hiking routes

With the same features and functionality, the numbered intersection system is also used to map the walking routes in the provinces of Flanders.

Conclusions

When Hugo Bollen began working on the knot system there was much skepticism around him: “Who would want to pedal from one number to another number?” he was chided. The answer came with facts soon after. The system was unexpectedly successful and spread quickly, going on to win an award in the Netherlands for the best bicycle route organization system.

The system never gives you the shortest way, but almost always the best way!

Some web references

www.hollandcyclingroutes.com (Dutch bicycle network promotion portal)
https://en.routeplanner.fietsersbond.nl/ (route planner NL)
www.fietsroute.org (Flanders bike routes portal)
www.nodemapp.com (route planning software developer)

Cycling vacations among the knooppunten

If we’ve intrigued you and you can’t wait to test out the Dutch bikeway system, try one of the many organized bike routes in Holland and Belgium: day after day, pedal along numbered intersections to your end-of-stage accommodation. Girolibero will transport your luggage, provide your rental bike and service! Check out the itineraries below or see all the bike trips on the website.

Consigli di viaggio

Amsterdam and the Northern Tour

Bike and Barge self-guided

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Amsterdam and the Southern Tour

Bike and Barge self-guided

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Amsterdam and Flanders

Bike and Barge guided

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Frisian Islands

Bike and Barge self-guided

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Amsterdam Maastricht

Bike and Barge guided

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Amsterdam and Flanders

Bike and Barge self-guided

girolibero.it