The Bicycle Filming Locations

The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for a flat landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. Amsterdam, the capital, is home to the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and the house where Jewish diarist Anne Frank hid during WWII. Canalside mansions and a trove of works from artists including Rembrandt and Vermeer remain from the city's 17th-century "Golden Age."

Liège, a city along the Meuse River in Belgium’s French-speaking Wallonia region, has long been a commercial and cultural hub. Its old town is filled with landmarks dating to the medieval era, including the Romanesque Church of St. Bartholomew. The Grand Curtius museum houses archaeological treasures and art within a 17th-century mansion, while Opéra Royal de Wallonie has staged operas since 1820.

Hamburg, a major port city in northern Germany, is connected to the North Sea by the Elbe River. It's crossed by hundreds of canals, and also contains large areas of parkland. Near its core, Inner Alster lake is dotted with boats and surrounded by cafes. The city's central Jungfernstieg boulevard connects the Neustadt (new town) with the Altstadt (old town), home to landmarks like 18th-century St. Michael’s Church.

Gelsenkirchen is a city in western Germany. ZOOM Erlebniswelt is an expansive zoo with polar bears, lions and red pandas. On the site of a former coal mine, Nordstern Park has architectural features like bridges and an amphitheater on the Rhine-Herne Canal. Schloss Horst is a Renaissance castle, with a museum on life during the 16th century. The Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen has many works by German Expressionists.

Essen is a city in western Germany. Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex has been transformed to house several museums. A heritage trail through the former colliery chronicles the city’s history of coal mining and steel production. In a former coal-washing plant, the Ruhr Museum is dedicated to regional history. Red Dot Design Museum showcases contemporary design through everyday objects in an old boiler house.

Leuven is a city east of Brussels, Belgium, known for its breweries. On a central square is the 15th-century town hall, with its tall spires. The building is decorated with hundreds of statues of local figures, biblical characters and saints. Opposite, the late Gothic St. Peter’s Church houses a “Last Supper” by the Flemish Primitive painter Dieric Bouts. Nearby, Oude Markt is a long square lined with bars and cafes.

Schleswig-Holstein is Germany's northernmost state. The southern city of Lübeck is known for the Holstentor, a red-brick city gate from the 1400s, and the rebuilt Gothic-style Lübeck Cathedral. Its central Marienkirche, a 13th–14th-century church, is a landmark of northern European church design. Farther north, near the city of Kiel, the Laboe Naval Memorial is dedicated to the fallen soldiers of WWI and WWII.