Junctions: 8 - 2 - 4 - (27) - 11 - 10 - 22 - 30 - 22 - 10 - 29 - 15 - 18 - 16 - 21 - 22 - 20 - 8
Number of km: 27 km

Starting point: Biesbosch MuseumEiland, Hilweg 2 in Werkendam

You park at the Biesbosch MuseumEiland where there is free parking and a charging point for electric bikes. You follow the route towards the Spieringsluis which connects the Biesbosch and the Nieuwe Merwede.

Enjoy the rugged nature and winding bike paths along the way. Stop halfway for lunch or a drink. There are plenty of picnic spots along the way. You will pass by Fort Steurgat. This fort is now inhabited and served to close off the Nieuwe Merwede and the Steurgat. Feel like shopping and stretching your legs? Take a side trip to junction 30. Then you will come to the center of Werkendam with a pleasant shopping street on the Hoogstraat. Then end the route again at the Biesbosch MuseumEiland. You can come here all year round for coffee or lunch in the restaurant area. Or stick a museum visit behind your bike ride and learn about the history of the Biesbosch: how the freshwater tidal area was created after the Sint Elisabethflood of 1421 and about the inhabitants and their crafts.

Nodes: 8 - 2 - 4 - 27 - 11 - 10 - 29 - 15 - 18 - 17 - 19 - 20 - 8
Number of km: 23 km

Starting point: Biesbosch MuseumEiland, Hilweg 2 in Werkendam

You park at the Biesbosch MuseumEiland where there is free parking and a charging station for electric bikes.

During this route through the Biesbosch, you cycle through feral willows, over small islands and along creeks. It takes you past the Spieringsluis lock that connects the Biesbosch and the Nieuwe Merwede. Cycle through beautiful nature and rest along the way with a cup of coffee. On the route you pass Fort Steurgat, on the edge of the Biesbosch. This (now inhabited) fortress served to close off the Nieuwe Merwede and the Steurgat. Then you cycle back towards Biesbosch MuseumEiland, which is open all year round. Here you can enjoy a cup of coffee or a delicious lunch in the restaurant area or an educational museum visit.

Nodes: 18 - 19 - 54 - 56 - 40 - 25 - 23 - 30 - 22 - 12 - 14 - 18
Number of km: 31 km

Starting point: Docks Visserhang, Visserhang 2 in Hank

From the starting point, cycle toward node 18

Download the route

Direction of node 18
At the intersection Oranjepolderweg - Aakvlaaiweg stands the monument commemorating the Halifax crash. If you stand in front of the monument, behind it you can see the plot on which the Halifax crashed.

The crew of the Halifax consisted of war volunteers from England and Canada. They were good friends who had already gained the necessary experience. They renamed their aircraft "Willy. This may be the nickname of the pilot Wilson. Also, this nickname may be derived from the code EY-W, the aircraft code. For this crew, this was its 21st mission.

At 10:55 p.m. on May 25, 1944, Halifax Mk III LV905 EY-W 'Willy' departed RAF Breigton and joined 431 other Bomber Command bombers to set course for and attack a railroad yard at Aachen. On the return flight, the plane was shot down by a Me 110 night fighter and crashed in flames near Hank at 01:30 a.m. with the loss of all seven crew members. Text: Adri Burghout, War Museum Veen

Direction node 18
At the intersection Oranjepolder - Nathalweg there is a picnic bench. Here you can see a creek running: the Bleeke Kil. You also see a bridge called 'Jannezand'. This crosses the ditch of St. Jan (a narrow creek along the Jannezand). This bridge had, at the end of World War II, an important function for the resistance. It served as a connecting route to already liberated Brabant. Through the bridge, important information, goods and people could reach the Allied forces. German prisoners of war were also taken here, which the memorial stone on the bridge still reminds us of. In 2021, the bridge was restored to its former glory. Text: www.biesbosch.nu

Near node 40 - Fort Altena
Tol 8, 4251 PX Werkendam

Fort Altena dates from 1847-1850, making it the oldest of the four Brabant forts in the New Dutch Waterline. It is also the only tower fort of these four forts.

The tower of Fort Altena owes its name mainly to its round shape, not to its height. It consists of 2 layers: a basement and a first floor. The walls are "bombproof" and nearly 2 meters thick, as protection against artillery strikes. Ironically, when these walls were completed, they had already been overtaken by developments in the arms industry. They were never truly bomb-proof.

Tip: At junction 25 you can deviate from the route to visit the Lancaster monument. Follow the Krouwerskade. At the end, turn onto the Grote Waardweg towards the Biesbosch and you will see the monument on your right. If you stand in front of the monument, you will see to the right of the monument the field where in 2014 the go-ahead was given to recover the Lancaster.

On June 22, 1944, an Avro Lancaster MkIII of 101 Squadron, reference LM508 SR-P crashed near Werkendam around 01:50 a.m. The crew of this Lancaster consisted of eight men. Six of them managed to ground; two crew members were killed. Eight crew members was not an ordinary number. The reason of an added crew member was that the plane was equipped with a "top secret" radio jamming system, which listened to the code name "Airborne Cigar" (ABC).

Normally, a Lancaster had seven crew members. Those crew members were: pilot P/O G. Hingley (22); flight engineer Sgt. S.D. Rogerson; navigator F/O T.W. Ball; radio operator/board gunner Sgt. L.V. Horrigan; flight gunner Sgt. J. Gascoigne; radio operator (special duty officer) Sgt. F. Sheard; bomb aimer F/Sgt. Thomas Handley Duff and tail gunner Sgt. John Edward Keogh (23). It is these last two crew members who died in the crash. In that attack, tail gunner John Keogh is killed instantly in his gun turret and bomb aimer Thomas Duff is also seriously injured.

A fuel tank is hit and a fire breaks out. The captain gives the order to abandon the plane. Rogerson gets Duff to strap on a parachute and pushes him out of the plane. He then jumps himself. Both land safely, but Duff dies from his gunshot wounds. Pilot Hingley breaks his back while exiting the aircraft, presumably due to colliding with one of the antennas. Upon landing, he also collides violently with a bridge, forcing his ribs into his left lung. He is found fairly quickly by the Germans and taken to a hospital. The rest land near the Borcharen polder and are also quickly captured by the Germans. The only one who initially manages to escape is the back gunner Jeff Gascoigne. He is later apprehended near Antwerp and taken as a prisoner of war.

Meanwhile, the Lancaster was burning and burning at a speed of more than 300 kilometers per hour, drilling some seven meters deep into the Werkendam clay just ten meters from the Dalm family's farm. Burning debris from the plane set the thatched roof ablaze and within half an hour the farm was completely in ashes. The Dalm family had just barely managed to get to safety. Text: Adri Burghout, War Museum Veen

Tip! Between node 23 and 30 you can deviate from the route to visit the monument de Linie Crosser. At the intersection Werkensedijk, Kruisstraat, Hoogstraat and Kerkstraat, enter Kerkstraat. This turns into the van Tienhoven van de Boogaardstraat and at the deer park is the monument.

The Monument "The Line-crosser" in Werkendam was erected to commemorate two resistance fighters who were shot by the Germans: Arie van Driel and Kees van de Sande.

Werkendam is adjacent to the Biesbosch, an almost inaccessible area that in the winter of 1944-1945 served as a no man's land between the north, which was still occupied by the Germans, and the south of the Netherlands. The area was used not only by people in hiding but also by "line-crossers": people who helped Allied soldiers make their way south. There were 374 such tours carried out. The two Dutchmen Arie van Driel and Kees van de Sande, were "line-crossers" and were captured by the Germans. They were executed at Fort de Bilt on April 30, 1945, just before liberation, and were buried in Werkendam's Protestant Cemetery, near the monument. After their deaths, the Military Order of William was issued. Text: TracesOfWar.co.uk

At node 30
Find benches and the monument Merwedegijzelaars. The plaque for Merwedegijzelaars in Werkendam was erected in memory of the 589 young men rounded up during a raid on May 16, 1944. (Photo monument route overview: Piet Kramer).

On May 16, 1944, in a raid in Sliedrecht and Hardinxveld, 589 young men between the ages of 18 and 25 were rounded up and assembled at the Grote Kerk in Sliedrecht and the School met de Bijbel in Hardinxveld. All but a small number of these men were transported to Camp Amersfoort. After seven weeks, a large group was allowed to return home. The men who were not so fortunate were sent to labor camps in Germany. Twelve of these men from Sliedrecht died there from the effects of hard work, insufficient food and disease. The raid was an act of retaliation by the occupying forces after the shooting of two NSB members by the resistance. Text: War Graves Foundation

Between node 22 and 12
Here a Halifax crashed, which was part of 424 squadron. The location is along the bicycle dike from Werkendam to Visserhang.

Originally, a squadron in the Air Force is the designation for an operational unit with aircraft and all associated personnel under a commander. A squadron can also be an Air Force unit with a supporting (e.g. maintenance, logistics or transport) or facilitating task. Fun fact, the designation squadron has been in use in the Netherlands since World War II. Before that, the term "aircraft division" was used. 

Want to learn more about 424 squadron and its crew? Then visit the website of the Omzien en Gedenken Foundation.

From node 12 to node 14
The water you see here is the Steurgat. This water was part of the route taken by the "line-crossers. In the fall of 1944 the south of the Netherlands was liberated. This resulted in the Biesbosch from then on being between the lines of the Germans and the Allies. The 'line-crossers' maintained a connection between liberated and occupied territory from this period on. This group was part of the larger Albrecht resistance group. 

Over two different routes, people, goods, information and medicines (especially insulin) were transported. In total, about 374 crossings were made. These were mainly military courier routes, but Jews and stranded pilots were also able to find a way to liberated Holland. Although it is known how many crossings were made, it is not known how many people were ferried across. One of them was General John Hackett, who was severely wounded in Arnhem, but survived an operation and managed to escape via this crossing route. 

The first route ran from Werkendam to Drimmelen. This first went a little overland, then by canoe across the Steurgat. Then along the polder Pauluszand to the island Middelste Jannezand, and then along the Biesbosch side on the Amer. There a basket hung opposite restaurant 't Voske and opposite the port of Drimmelen to indicate when to cross. The basket was further hoisted when crossers arrived. 

Want to know more about the line-crossers? Then check out Omzien en denken or visit the Biesbosch MuseumEiland.

A cycling route along all 21 cores of the municipality of Altena. Tour over dikes, through villages and across the polder, along the fortress and through the Biesbosch. Meet up with friends, cycle together, refuel on a terrace and enjoy everything our beautiful municipality has to offer.

Download the routes as GPX 80 km and GPX 105 km (including loop Biesbosch)

Nodes: 60 – 97 –65 – 99 – 64 –66 –67 –53 –52 –50 – 51 – 59 –58- 60
Number of km: 36 km

Starting point: Kromme Nol near junction 60

Between node 60 and 97
Pass by the monument Elementary Baileyburg. This monument was placed to commemorate the Bailey Bridge which served for many years after the destruction of the old swing bridge.

Tip! In Wijk en Aalburg you will find several elements that remind you of World War II. On the church at the Grote Kerstraat 30 you will find a plaque. It commemorates the destruction of the church tower during the liberation of Wijk en Aalburg. Nearby, at Grote Kerkstraat 32, you will find the peace monument.

Tip! Just before Maasdijk 58 is a strip on the right side of the road where you can easily and safely dismount. If you look to the right there between the trees, you will see the Creek about 100 meters away. Approximately behind number 58 the Halifax MZ312 crashed on the bank of this Creek.

The crew of a Handley Page Halifax MKIII was on their way home after a raid on Bottrop in Germany when their aircraft was taken off by night fighter pilot Feldwebel Heinz Misch of the 7./NJG 2, flying a Junkers Ju 88 G-1 from Volkel airfield and attacked them from behind, causing a fire in the right wing. The crew had taken off in the evening of July 20, 1944 at 11:06 p.m. with the MZ312 ZA-E from Melbourne airfield in England. July 21 at 01:45 a.m. the Halifax crashed at the Kreek on Molendijk in Wijk en Aalburg behind Maasdijk 58. Molendijk was a hamlet on the Maasdijk at the time. All crew members managed to jump except the tail gunner who had already been killed by shrapnel. Due to the force of the crash, a wheel of the main landing gear bounced about 100 meters away across the dike, where you are now standing. The jumped crew was immediately, or in time, apprehended and made prisoners of war. Of radio operator Lowrey, it is not clear whether he was also made a prisoner or still escaped. Indeed, he does not appear on POW (prisoner of war) lists. Text: Adri Burghout, War Museum Veen

Fun tip at node 66
At 66 go straight across Zwaansheuvelsedijk, turn right Zwaansheuvelsedijk (nice here: at the end you look into a cowshed on the left). Zwaansheuvelsedijk turns into Midgraaf, then follow junction 67 on your right. Here you cross a small bridge onto a paved path through Pompveld. Highly recommended!

Note! Since there are no nodes connected from this side, there is no sign indicating route towards node 67 from this side. However, this is the correct route towards 67. In fact, coming from the other side, the sign is there. 

Park your bike at the Pompveld and walk from here through/around the Pompveld, about 5km.  

Tip: At junction 67
Picnic benches

Tip! Nice trip, between node 53 and 52 you will find the village Meeuwen

There you will find an emergency house, directly behind the White Mill
Kleibergsestraat 52a. This is service road off Provincialeweg-Zuid (N283). The makeshift house, like the White Mill, is open every Saturday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.. Admission is free.

At the end of 1944, the Allied advance south of the Bergsche Maas River comes to a halt. In the Land of Heusden and Altena, 16,000 German soldiers are stationed. A prestige battle breaks out at Capelse Veer between German paratrooper general Kurt Student and British general sir John Crocker. The battle for Capelse Veer eventually cost the lives of 572 Allies and 243 Germans. Starting in November 1944, Meeuwen was heavily bombed and soon declared a "Sperrgebiet. All inhabitants must leave immediately.

Seagulls remained off-limits until the end of the war. When all dead animals and unexploded bombs were cleared, residents could not return until the end of June 1945. In Meeuwen, 56 homes were totally destroyed and many were severely damaged. As a result, dhe housing shortage was enormous. Soon, wooden and concrete emergency houses, popularly called "bunker," were erected under the Emergency Housing Decree. In total, over 400 "emergency facilities" were built in the Land of Heusden and Altena, 188 of which were emergency houses. Text: Ons Meeuwen.

Tip! Direction of junction 50 War Memorial (Molenkade, Dussen)

Direction of node 51
Crash site Dornier. Just before the bowl sign where the road disappears among the trees, you can see a field on the right. Where the driveway to the land ends and turns into the cropland there has been a huge crater to the right of the driveway, probably caused by the exploding torpedoes the Dornier was carrying.

On September 22, 1943, at 01:15 a.m., a Dornier Do 217M-1 (work number 56049) of the 9./KG 2 crashed in Dussen, just after taking off from Gilze-Rijen. The crash was just along the Oude Kerkstraat between Junctions 50 and 51. Just before the Oude Kerkstraat, seen from the bicycle dike, disappears between the trees, between the Oude Kerkstraat and the Afwateringskanaal (about 150 meters away from the bicycle dike).

The entire crew perished in this crash. Pilot Uffz. Rudolf Sachs (23), observer Gfr. Rüdiger Kass (20), radio operator Ogfr. Willy Arnold (22) and air gunner Ogfr. Harald Hilpmann (20) are buried at Ysselsteyn. This crash also claimed a life on the ground. The bomber collided with the canal dike in the Rommegat where also the house, café Blikken Emmer (now disappeared) of Adriaan van de Pluijm was hit. In this crash his son Antonius van der Pluijm was killed. Adriaan himself went blind. Text: Adri Burghout, War Museum Veen

Tip: Between node 59 and 58 you can turn off to the village of Eethen.
In the village you will find a Stumbling Stone near the Reformed Church in the church path. German artist Gunter Demnig began laying the first Stolperstein in the Berlin neighborhood of Kreuzberg in 1997. Since then, there have been tripstones in many countries. It is a reminder of the Holocaust in World War II.

A tripstone is a 10 x 10 cm concrete stone, with a brass plate at the top into which is stamped the name, date of birth and death and place of death.
The tripstone will be placed in the sidewalk in front of the victim's former residence. Text: TracesOfWar.co.uk

Council House Street 21
During World War II, German soldiers had written on a house the text "Glauben Kämpfen Siegen." After the war, this text was removed, but it is still partially legible. Repaired bullet impacts are also still visible on the house. Text: TracesOfWar.com

Nodes: 40 - 56 - 54 -52 - 50 - 51 - 59 - 57 - 53 - 67 - 71 - 41 - 40
Number of km: 39 km

Starting point: Nature Gate Fort Altena near node 40

Near node 40 Start and end point route at the Brabantse Natuurpoort Fort Altena
Tol 8, 4251 PX Werkendam

Fort Altena dates from 1847-1850, making it the oldest of the four Brabant forts in the New Dutch Waterline. It is also the only tower fort of these four forts.
The tower of Fort Altena owes its name mainly to its round shape, not to its height. It consists of 2 layers: a basement and a first floor. The walls are "bombproof" and nearly 2 meters thick, as protection against artillery strikes. Ironically, when these walls were completed, they had already been overtaken by developments in the arms industry. They were never truly bomb-proof.

In 1878, the fort was substantially rebuilt and expanded to three times its original size. It also changed its name: henceforth it was called "Fort aan den Uppelschen Dijk.

Tip: Regular tours of Fort Altena.

Tip: Between node 56 and 54 (just off the route) Duyls Bos - location Almkerk
Open from Thursday to Sunday from 11.00 - 16.00 hrs.

The Duyls Bos is a gem yet to be discovered. You easily bike or walk past it without ever knowing what lurks among the trees.

How to get there. At node 56, turn left at the intersection across Emmikhovenseweg, then turn right onto Duijlweg (you'll pass the Duyls Bos on the left), then turn right onto Midgraaf and left onto Provincialeweg Zuid to pick up the route towards node 54 here. Note: if you visit this location, you extend the bike route by about 2.6 km.

Between nodes 52 and 54
You pass a traditional clog factory. Here you can come during the day for a cup of coffee and a visit to the clog store. Demonstrations in the clog-making shop are by reservation only. Go back in time with Prisca's blog and discover the clog-making shop and Duyls Bos.

Between node 52 and 50
Between 52 and 50, on Wilhelminastraat, there is a rest area and a water tap of Brabant Water. For this you have to deviate about 100 meters from the route.

Near node 52 you will find Kasteel Dussen
Address: Binnen 1-4, 4271 BV Dussen
Open on sunday afternoon

In the late 14th century, the original "donjon," a four-story residential tower, was expanded into a castle by various descendants of the van der Dussen family. In the course of time, the castle changed hands regularly and various (noble) families added floors, additions and extensions and a Tuscan colonnade. Over the centuries the castle has suffered many misfortunes, the lowest being the St. Elisabeth flood and various wars. From 1954 to 1997 the castle served as the town hall, after which it came into the hands of Monuments Fund Brabant.

Between 50, 51 and 59 you cycle along the Bergsche Maas
Behind the dike is the Bergsche Maas. This begins at Welle and flows past the fortified town of Geertruidenberg towards Hollands Diep.

Between node 53 and 67
You drive over a small bridge here onto a semi-paved path through Pompveld.

Tip! Park your bike at the Pompveld and walk from here through/around the Pompveld, about 5 km.

Nature Reserve Pompveld
In the early 1960s this region was virtually smoothed over by large-scale land consolidation, a disaster for nature and landscape. Only one polder escaped the dance.

The Pompveld is about 240 acres, a reserve of wet meadows, willow and poplar forests, an oasis of peace and quiet. The Pompveld is not freely accessible, but you can walk around the Pompveld (6 km). With a little luck, you will see deer, hawks or egrets during that walk. Who you certainly won't see is the mud creeper hiding in the water. Centrally located in the Pompveld, a historic duck decoy is maintained where professional decoy workers work during open days.

At node 67
Picnic benches

Junction 71 Uitwijk
Here you will find a water tap of Brabant Water and a small square with benches

Between node 40 and 41
You pass Landgoed Kraaiveld, where breads and cakes from baker Hardeman, fresh organic vegetables from the estate and juices are sold. You also pass the 2 windmills near Uppel.

The Fortress Triangle: one day, five places, three provinces

An active day of soaking up culture? Visit the Vesting Triangle! The Vesting Triangle is the area between the fortresses of Gorinchem, Woudrichem, Zaltbommel, Slot Loevestein and Fort Vuren. Grab your bike, hop on the ferry, and your adventure can begin!

Ferry and foot ferry

All locations in the fortress triangle are connected by water. Take the Riveer ferries across the Maas, Waal, Linge and Merwede rivers from fortress to fortress to fortified town. In high season, you get on almost every half hour, and your bike can come along for free. Missed a boat? The water cab is waiting for you, or take the foot ferry: a small boat especially for walkers. It takes you from Woudrichem to Slot Loevestein and back again.

Woudrichem

A picturesque fortified town, where history is still very much alive. Take a walking tour on your own, or let a city guide tell you all about its rich history.

Gorinchem

Gorinchem is the largest fortified city whose ramparts are still complete. Take a walk along the ramparts, past the Dalempoort, cannons and windmills. But also be sure to visit the bustling city center!

Fort Vuren

This Tower Fort was built in 1845, as part of the New Dutch Waterline. The fort was recently fully restored, and has since been used as a catering and accommodation facility. Guided tours are available by appointment.

Tip: Inside the fort, visit WWII & Airmen Museum. This museum is part of the Route Second World War: Honoring Allied Airmen Lingewaal.

Slot Loevestein

The famous castle from which Hugo the Great escaped. With your personal key you will learn all about the Castle, its history and inhabitants.

Zaltbommel

Zaltbommel is also worth a visit. Wander through the center, visit the St. Maartenskerk or the Stadskasteel. In this museum, be sure not to miss the exhibition on Fiep Westendorp: the famous illustrator of Jip, Janneke, Otje, Pluk van de Pettenflat and Pim & Pom.

You can rent a (electric) bicycle from various rental locations. Contact the relevant party for availability and bike rental.

Cycle from fortified town Woudrichem to fortified town Heusden and enjoy the river landscape along the way. With these dismounts, the route is not only varied, but also very surprising because of the great stories hidden behind it. Have fun cycling!

1 Woudrichem Fortress

The fortress of Woudrichem has a rich history and is one of the oldest towns in the country. Already around the year 900 Woudrichem is mentioned in the possessions of the diocese of Utrecht. In 1356 it received city rights. It had an important military function. With Gorinchem and Loevestein, it formed an iron triangle, as it were. The fortifications are still authentic, as they were commissioned by Prince William of Orange in 1584. Several buildings still remind of this. Only in 1955 was the military function officially abolished and Woudrichem could develop outside the ramparts. Fishing was important, as can be seen and heard in the Fisheries Museum. Start the bicycle tour on a cozy terrace between or even in the beautifully preserved monuments.

2 Rijswijk wheel

The Biesbosch Line has experienced many floods. With often serious, especially material consequences. In 1809, dikes broke due to large masses of creeping ice. Even King Louis Napoleon visited this river area to learn about the situation. In Rijswijk, the Maas dike broke through, creating a wheel on the inside. Nowadays, barely visible because of the abundance of greenery, it lies in a beautiful natural area where you can dismount for a stroll.

3 Reformed church Giessen

In a special place, in the former floodplain, stands the reformed church of Giessen. It is not the first church in this location. The building history of the church shows that this remarkable place has to do with the origin of the current course of the Meuse River. Initially, the church was the center of the village. The flow of the Meuse destroyed the embankment and the buildings, including the western part of the church building. The present form of the church dates from 1856, and the last expansion is from 1963. The clockwork is notable for having only one hand.

4 Tomb Jan Claessen in Andel

In the cemetery behind the striking Romboutstoren with its stone spire lies the grave of a certain Jan Claessen. According to the legend, which the inhabitants of Andel like to keep alive, it concerns the famous trumpeter from the army of the Prince of Orange about whom Rob de Nijs sings. Whether this is really so, no one knows. In any case, the restored tombstone mentions that a certain Jan Claessen from Andel was killed by an assassin from Breda on Thursday, October 5, 1634. Today, the little chapel near the tower is "the house of Jan Claessen.

5 Veerhuis De Zwaan in Andel

On the Hoge Maasdijk in Andel stands the former ferry house De Zwaan. It also served as an inn/lodge and carriages were rented and stabled there. It even says so in French on the facade. There used to be a cable ferry here to Poederoijen and a landing for steamboats that maintained a regular service to Rotterdam and 's-Hertogenbosch. Remnants of that landing stage can still be seen. As a National Monument, the building has been in use as a residence for many years.

6 Kaaie Paole

On the border of Veen and Andel, stand these two special poles. They are popularly known as the Kaaie Paole or the Veen Poles. They indicate the border between the Land of Heusden and the Land of Altena. The pole on the right shows the coat of arms with the wheel of the Land of Heusden and the year 1798. The pole on the left shows the coat of arms of the Land of Altena with two salmon and the inscription "Old Land of Altena. This national monument also marks the medieval border of Holland and Brabant.

7 Corn mill De Hoop in Veen

This round stone grist mill was built in 1838 for Willem Ambrosius on the site where a mill also previously stood. The mill ground flour commercially for many years. It was also used as a hulling mill to hull barley into groats. Owned for a time by the former municipality of Veen, the mill passed to the Molenstichting Land van Heusden en Altena in 1965. The mill is now in operation as a corn mill and when the sails are turning you can walk in to tour the mill. You will also find a cozily decorated local produce shop.

8 The Wijkerzand in Wijk and Aaburg

Along the Maasijk in Wijk and Aalburg lies the Wijkerzand. It is a floodplain with not only scenic but also historical significance and a size of about 70 hectares. The special thing is that all the inhabitants of Wijk, who were born and raised there, cherish a common ownership. In the land register, they are still called "natives. It was Philip of Burgundy who donated the area to them, because in 1815 the inhabitants of Wijk managed to prevent the ownership and use from lapsing to the municipality and a brickworks was built there. Wijk residents receive an annual share of the proceeds from the use of the floodplain, where mostly cows graze.

The mill is eco-certified and grinds flour for bakery Gerard and Suus just down the road in the village.

9 Mill De Twee Gebroeders in Wijk en Aalburg

This round stone rack grist mill was built in 1872 on the site where a mill had also previously stood. For a long time, flour was ground there. At one time, this mill was the example of a modern windmill. The king spindle could be driven by wind power as well as by a diesel engine. In World War II, the mill was badly damaged. The mill was restored and commercial milling ended. After being in the hands of several owners, ownership passed to the Molenstichting Land van Heusden en Altena in 1968. It is a national monument that has since been restored several times.

10 Ornaments Heusden Bridge

The bridge over the Bergsche Maas River is the first concrete cable-stayed bridge in the Netherlands. On June 28, 1990, it was opened by the Queen's Commissioner Frank Hoube. It was not the first bridge to be located there. That one was destroyed by the occupying forces in 1940. In memory of the first bridge and in honor of the celebration of 100 years of Bergsche Maas, a monument has been erected on the north side of the river. It consists of two restored lampposts that originally graced the bridge. On the Heusden side are elements of the second bridge.

11 Fortress Heusden

Fortified town Heusden has completely restored fortifications and 134 buildings on the Monument List. The town grew up around one of the oldest moated castles in northwestern Europe and was one of the first Dutch towns to be surrounded by a wall. After 1968, the fortified town was thoroughly restored. The basis for the restoration of this cultural heritage was Blaeu's map of 1649. This earned Heusden the highest European restoration award "Urbus Nostrae" in 1980. In the characteristic old streets and narrow alleys you will find numerous centuries-old, well-preserved buildings and facades with beautiful gable stones. The fortress is known for its art and antique stores and galleries, many of which are nationally renowned. Based on written sources, the history of Heusden dates back to the early 12th century. The fortified town lies on the Bergsche Maas River. Adriaan Anthoniszn. van Alkmaar designed the first fortifications including the ramparts, moats, ravelins and bastions. These were continually improved in the years that followed and earned Heusden the name "impregnable. In the centuries that followed, Heusden managed to keep up this reputation.

12 Nederhemert Castle

Crossing the Bergsche Maas, we have now arrived in Gelderland from North Brabant. Nederhemert Castle has been completely restored and used as an office. The residential tower has remained as original as possible. The remaining parts have been plastered. Also have a good time here in the more than 100-year-old playground!

13 The Neswaarden in Aalst

The Neswaarden is a recreational area in the village of Aalst. A beautiful piece of nature with beach, sunbathing area, sports fields and a large playground. The area is freely accessible to everyone and special consideration has been given to the disabled.

14 Battery under Poederoijen

The Battery under Poederoijen was built around 1880 as part of the New Dutch Waterline. If there was a threat of war, the western part of the Bommelerwaard would be flooded. The battery's artillery had to control the Maas River and protect the inundation sluices. The adjacent Brasserie De Buurman is a nice resting place for a snack and a drink and taking a stroll.

15 Wilhelmina Lock

This lock, opened in 1904 by Queen Wilhemina, lies in an old course of the Meuse River, between North

Brabant and Gelderland. The waterway forms a connection between the Waal and Bergsche Maas rivers and now bears the name Afgedamde Maas. This national monument is the only impeller lock in the Netherlands with a "green kolk," meaning that the walls of the lock chamber are lined with grass. At this point we swap the regions of Gelderland again for burgundy Brabant.

You can rent a (electric) bicycle from various rental locations. Contact the relevant party for availability and bike rental.

Overview of all our routes in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie

Between the rivers Maas and Merwede lies the Biesbosch Line, an island of tranquility between Holland and burgundian Brabant. Vast, tranquil and rugged, the Biesbosch Line is characterized by its rich variety of heritage. You will find ancient farms, churches, mills and the southernmost part of the largest monument of the Netherlands: the New Dutch Waterline. Partly because of its rich history, it is a fantastic area for cycling, walking and boating. Because of its central location, the area offers a good base for day trips to, for example, major cities such as Den Bosch, Utrecht or Breda. And what about a day at the Efteling or Kinderdijk. Whatever your plans: feel welcome! This is where your adventure begins!

You can rent a (electric) bicycle from various rental locations. Contact the relevant party for availability and bike rental.