Houten, a commuter town of 48,000 near Utrecht, has been voted best cycling city in the country by visitors to the Fietsersbond website.

In total, 45,000 people took part in the survey to find out which are the best places for cyclists, in terms of cycle paths, de-icing measures in winter and anti-theft control, among others.

Etten-Leur, Veenendaal, Winterswijk and Zoetermeer complete the top five. The survey is carried out every two years and the previous winner, in 2016, was Nijmegen.

Houten picked up the title in 2008 and since then has introduced new bike-friendly systems, such as special transfer hub where cyclists can leave their bikes and step onto the train. ‘Cyclists are a constant focus of attention. It is a remarkable local council,’ Saskia Kluit, the director of the cyclists union said.

Amsterdam, by contrast picked up 3.2 points out of five, but a perfect score for its bike friendly roundabouts. Rotterdam scored 3.4 and Utrecht, which is home to the biggest bike park in the country, 3.7.

The worst scores – 2.9 – were booked by Oudambt and Pekela on the northern border with Germany.

How well did your town do?