You cruise in an area full of winding creeks and nice sandy beaches. It is highly recommended for novice canoeists.
The Aakvlaai is a relatively new recreational area on the edge of the Biesbosch. It was constructed at the end of the last century for the purpose of water sports. Because the Aakvlaai is directly adjacent to the Biesbosch, you may encounter a beaver or large water birds such as spoonbills and egrets.
Although the route does not have many miles, you can easily spend a day in the Barge Bay. If you want to take a break, find a quiet spot on a beach. You can also, in combination with your cruise, take a walk in the area. Without getting lost, you can easily deviate from the route here. You will always end up at a point you recognize. Striking points include the cooling towers of the Amer power plant located on the opposite side of the river, the remains of De Steen farm at Kloosteroord and the wreck of a tjalk. In the Aakvlaai, nature is given free rein, so that the flora and fauna in the area provide variety every season and a cruise is surprising every time.
The wreck of the tjalk at the entrance to the Aakvlaai is largely overgrown. The ship is 20 meters long and used to ship reeds, rushes and willow wood. According to tradition, the tjalk ended up at this location when it was used to fill a hole in the dike. The ship was found during the construction of the Aakvlaai.
Note: If you come with your own canoe or sup, please start from the canoe pier in front of the parking lot. No need to climb the stairs.
You can rent a canoe Jachthaven Van Oversteeg in Werkendam or at DOCKS vissershang Hank. Contact the respective party for availability and canoe rental.
Scavenger hunt Woudrichem (running time 1.5 hours - 2 km)
Welcome to Woudrichem, or as the people here call it: Woerkum. Tie your laces, loosen your muscles, take a deep breath, shoulders straight, chin up and ... sleuthing away!
Don't know an answer? Then ask someone you meet on the street for help. You might just hear an exciting story from a real Woerkumer! Good luck and have fun while searching for the answers!
Overview of all our routes in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie
The Walking & Boating Route is a tour that takes you into two fortified towns and into two provinces. You will visit Woudrichem in North Brabant and Gorinchem located in South Holland. These two fortified towns have been connected throughout the centuries. Despite the wide Merwede that separates the cities. Or perhaps thanks to that river.
Woudrichem and Gorinchem are part of both the Old and New Dutch Waterline. In these towns it is almost impossible to get lost. So feel free to deviate from the route over the city walls and wander through the idyllic streets where time seems to have stood still. Then find the ramparts again to continue your route.
As a counterpart to the urban, on this route we also take you across the Groesplaat, a floodplain between Sleeuwijk and Oudendijk. At high tide, these floodplains fill up and give space to the river. If you encounter high water during this walk, walk between node 57 and 67 on the dike.
As icing on the cake, you cross the Merwede River twice during this trip. The sailing is an experience in itself, because the ferry does not go straight back and forth, but has to go downstream up the river to take you across.
For the current sailing schedule, visit: www.riveer.nl
Starting point Gorinchem: Buiten de Waterpoort, Gorinchem
Starting point Sleeuwijk: Hoekeinde 24, 4254 LN Sleeuwijk
Starting point Woudrichem: Waterpoort, Woudrichem
Start near the embarkation and disembarkation points of the ferries. We recommend the many restaurants and cafes in Woudrichem and Gorinchem. If you come by car, pay attention, because in Gorinchem you have to pay parking fees. In Woudrichem you can park freely and parking Schapendam is recommended. In Sleeuwijk, Restaurant Boven de Rivieren is a nice starting point where you can also park freely.
Actually, this is a pampering route for all the senses! You enjoy the silence of nature and the bustle of the city. You feel the wind through your hair on the water and it all tastes like more!
Overview of all our routes in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie
On this route you will find special monuments, and we have highlighted some of them and marked them on the map with a dark blue star.
NEWENDIJK
't Kasteeltje
Alexander den Dekker has a house built in 1953 in Nieuwendijk on the corner of the Rijksweg and the Buitendijk, popularly called 't Kasteeltje because of the stately appearance of the property. Den Dekker owned a lot of land in Nieuwendijk and the surrounding area. When the building was built, a rent room with a safe was set up in the building, so the rent that the tenants came to pay could be stored safely in the safe immediately. The Den Dekker family crest hangs above the fireplace. Many administrators descend from the Den Dekker family; for example, Alexander is dike reeve of one of the many water boards. Although the name may suggest otherwise, a dike grave is not a title of nobility, but someone who watches over the safety of the dikes. This dikewarden must have had a lot of confidence in that, after all, in the 1953 flood disaster the water had still stood against the Buitendijk.
ALMKERK
't Hulpgat
The name on the farm near the campsite of the same name has its origins in the nineteenth century. Auxiliary holes are intended to allow the water to be discharged quickly back into the outside water during a flood. The auxiliary holes have been constructed in several places in the dike and are recognizable because the dike is slightly lower there. In the 19th century 't Hulpgat near the campsite could discharge its water to the outside water via the Papsluis of 1815 in Nieuwendijk.
UPPEL
Boat Transfer
Boat crossings were built during the land consolidation around 1960. They were combined with a weir. Boat crossings are still very rare, very characteristic and a remarkable image in the landscape. They are designed to lift the maintenance boat over the weir.
On this route you will find a number of watercourses; we have highlighted some of them and marked them on the map with an aqua blue star
DUSSEN
Kornsche Boezem
The water collected in the Kornse Boezem was discharged in the Middle Ages through the Korn lock, directly into the Biesbosch. A boezem is meant to collect polder water and discharge it through a sluice to a river or outside water like here to the Biesbosch.
Wiel
The farm Dijk en Wielzicht on the dike between Almkerk and Dussen is a national monument. The farm honors its name, next to the farm is a wheel. These wheels along dikes always remind of dike breaches in the past. Also near the water tower in Uppel is a wheel along the dike.
On this route you will find pumping stations and locks; we have highlighted some of them and marked them on the map with a yellow and red star.
With the digging of the Bergsche Maas, three particularly beautiful pumping stations were built at the beginning of the twentieth century "as a result of the law to divert the mouth of the Maas.
The Three Locks pumping station in Nieuwendijk received water from three supply channels from three storage basins. Initially a steam pumping station, it switched to electric pumping in 1935 until the land consolidation in the 1960s. The steam pumping station is now occupied, as are the homes once built for the machinist, machine operator and stoker.
The Bleekkil-Oostkil pumping station in Hank pumped the water away by means of electricity and not with steam as was usual at that time. Thus Hank got its own power plant already at the beginning of the twentieth century. In the surrounding polders, 21 pump pumping stations were built that were powered by electricity from the pumping station. At Buitendijk 140 there is still such a pumping station from 1902. Other pump pumping stations are hidden in the woods along Akkerpad and at Vissershang Harbor. Along the dike on the Steurgat are now two modern pumping stations. On either side of the Bleekkil pumping station are the Vierbanse and Hillegat locks. The Vierbanse sluice is next to pump pumping station at Buitendijk 140 and is still barely visible. HIllegatse sluice bears the date 1699, making it one of the oldest masonry structures in the 1646 dike.
Whoever steps off at the small harbor on the Peereboom sees a glimpse of the Bergsche Maas, the grand water work of the 19th century. The polder workers still toiled with shovels and wheelbarrows before the Maas estuary was moved. The steam shovel pumping station on the Peereboom, like the other pumping stations in Hank and Nieuwendijk, was put into operation in 1902 and served until the land consolidation. All that remains of the complex is the machinist's house; the pumping station was demolished in the 1980s.
On this route you will find a number of mills. We have highlighted some of them and marked them on the map with a green star
Mills
In the polders along the three dikes there are a number of water mills; the Vervoornemolen, the Zuid-Hollandse molen, the Noordeveldse molen, the Doornse molen, the Zandwijkse and Uitwijkse molen. At the Zandwijkse and Uitwijkse molen there is also the Rijswijks pumping station along the Liniepad. It was built after one of the seven mills of the Zevenbansche Boezem burned down. The mills used wind power to dry our polders, but lost their function for good in the 1960s. The mills can still turn, but that is more for show. See the sails turning in the wind? Then feel free to step off, the millers are happy to tell you about their mill.
On this route you will find military heritage. The forts are indicated on the map as starting points
New Dutch Waterline
While dikes were built in past centuries to keep the water out, along the way you also pass parts of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie with military monuments that embraced the water. Of particular note is the Papsluis lock on the bicycle dike near Fort Bakkerskil. This sluice from 1815 lies like a fish on dry land in the middle of the polder landscape and thus reminds of the time when the Biesbosch was not so far reclaimed. The Papsluis is the southernmost inlet sluice of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie. This impeller sluice could be opened both at high and low Biesbosch water to flood the land (inundate). Fort Bakkerskil was built to protect the Papsluis and is within shooting distance of the lock. Fort Altena is the largest fort of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie, the oldest part was built in 1847. Both Fort Altena and Fort Bakkerskil are now oases of tranquility where it is good to relax on the terrace. But once soldiers found shelter here in times of war threat. Another special part of the New Dutch Waterline are the concrete shelters built just before World War II. They provided shelter for soldiers walking in the open field.
New, newer, newest 1461, 1646, 1970
The Sint Elisabeth flood of 1421 turned large parts of the Biesbosch Line into one big inland sea. The landscape in the wide surroundings was desolate. Only around 1450 did part of the land fall dry, so reclamation of the area began with the construction of a new dike from Woudrichem through Werkendam to Dussen. The dike is completed in 1461 and is given many different names, such as the Oude Zeedijk in Dussen. Still today, the dike forms the boundary between sea clay and river clay.
But even after the construction of this dike, the polder workers and farmers continued to reclaim the land from the sea. Thus, in 1646 the "New" dike was constructed from the Schans in Werkendam via Hank further towards Dussen. Along the new dike, the villages of Nieuwendijk and Hank were then formed.
Preliminary completion of the reclamation of this part of the Biesbosch is the construction of the Steurgatdijk between Werkendam and Hank during the land consolidation of the Oostwaard. The Bruine Kil, Bakkerskil, Bleeke Kil and Oostkil were closed off in the 1960s, and so ebb and flow disappeared from the area, but traces of the water can still be found on the three dikes of the reclaimed land.
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
A beautiful Sunday morning, beautiful cloudy sky and a nice walk ahead, we are ready for it! From the parking lot at the Janus Baks Bastion we walk along the little harbor and turn left at 62, up the Schapendam, enjoying the Woerkum skyline (the windmill and Martinus church) out of Woudrichem over the Hoge Maasdijk. At the end left again at 67, up the Maasdijk. Tip: descend the dike and walk along the river side, a lot nicer and quieter (you miss 60 but can continue to node 02). We have a view of the river the whole way and see cattle and konik horses paddling on the opposite side (Munnikenland). At 02 we climb the dike again and keep left, on the paved path towards 01. We enjoy beautiful views and the wind in our hair. With some regularity we are passed by Sunday morning platoons, recreational cyclists whom we will probably see again at the next terrace. Arriving at 01, we turn left down the dike and walk toward 28. There we walk straight ahead, keeping the houses to our left. At the top we turn left towards the lock. Please note: here the junction system ends and you have to rely on us further. We follow the bike path until we see the brown referral signs to "De Buurman," which we gladly follow. This restaurant is located near the battery of Poederoijen, a lovely place to give your feet a rest (and yes, the cyclists have landed too!). After this pleasant break we take the same road back. However, now not left towards the provincial road but straight ahead. In the right turn we keep left and take the path of Staatsbosbeheer, called 'Poederoijensehoek' (we are shown the way by 2 deer!). At the end of this path we cross (carefully!) the provincial road and take another path of Staatsbosbeheer, this time called 'Boezem van Brakel'. We keep following this beautiful dike path along streams, nut trees, shelters and the Battery under Brakel until we reach the Waal dike, where we turn left. Now pay attention: we follow this path until the 2nd turn left (bicycle path). We follow that path, at the T - junction we turn right to finally turn right again at the next T - junction. We now walk through the 'Waarden bij Loevestein', between the beautiful cattle and konik horses. Enjoying the scenery, we walk on to the entrance bridge to Loevestein Castle, where we take a break on a terrace and enjoy the atmosphere of yesteryear. Whistling, we walk the last bit to the ferry that takes us back to Woudrichem. For current sailing times, check www.voetveerwoudrichem.nl.
A particularly successful walk through the Line Landscape!
Overview of all our routes in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie
This hike has the parking lot of Fort Giessen as its starting point. Fort Giessen is another gem of the New Dutch Waterline. Should it be open, let the guides tell you about the history of the fort and its surroundings or let the people of nature association Altenatuur give you information.
We walk down the road with the fort at our backs and turn right into Burgstraat. Even before the first bend, we take the loam footpath on the left with pollarded willows on both sides. We walk parallel to the little river Alm, which we can occasionally see. After a while the path turns into a paved road, the Karbogerd, which we continue to follow. After the long right turn, over the bridge but before the sports fields, we turn left into the hiking path that takes us through the Almbos. We keep following this path and via 92 (there are the nodes again) we walk to 06. There we turn right towards 04 at the traffic circle. We cross the traffic circle straight over and follow the Rijswijksesteeg which becomes the Dorpsstraat. In the bend we turn left onto the Stoep. Now we have to search a bit: we cross the dike and to the right behind the church we find a cart track going down. We cross the water and immediately turn left. We keep following this path, with the water on our left, and at the very end we clamber up the dike. We take a breather from the climb and turn right. On the paved path on the dike we continue walking, with views of the river on the left and farmland on the right. The path is adorned by a motley bouquet of wildflowers and, with the wind in our hair, we fully enjoy it. We walk straight through 01 and 29 to 26. There we turn right along the Provincial road towards 18 and 27, where we descend the stairs to the right towards 08. We are surprised by the sweet winding path with fruit trees along it. At the church at the end of this path we end up back in the village center. Via 91 and 19 we arrive at the starting point, junction 14, Fort Giessen. Tip if you still have time and energy: take a look at the experience park at the fort dedicated to World War I or walk around the fort again.
Overview of all our routes in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie
We leave from the parking lot at Fort Altena. We decide to hike first and then have lunch at the brasserie. The walk starts with a sneaky hidden forest path (just before the bridge to the fort on the left) towards node 26. We cross (carefully!) the road and walk left down the bike path to 77, where we let the traffic rush off us towards 76. On the way we encounter several casemates, one of which, with a steel dome, serves as a bird station. Walking further along the water we see two magnificent watermills (when the sails turn, they are well worth a visit!). At 76 we keep left on the cart track between the fields (the edges are planted in a bird-friendly way). Arriving at the road we cross straight over and turn right onto the loamy path, closely followed by the extremely curious sheep. We stop for a moment at the casemat to read the beautiful poem. We continue up to 74 where we turn left (through the gate) and right again at the end. On our right a little further on we see the care farm's vegetable garden and a long row of hop piles (these hops are the main ingredient of Altena Beer). At the end of the path we turn left over the small bridge and walk between the trees in a straight line towards 72. Here we cross the road and turn left into the driveway and before the fence turn right, across the grass towards 73. This sounds complicated, but it's not too bad! We turn left and walk in a straight line to 71, where we climb left up the Merwededijk. At the top we keep to the right, taking a break on the windy asphalt dike to 57. In the distance we see the tower of the fortified town of Woudrichem and to our left the activity on the river. At 57 we descend outside the dike into the floodplain. Again a beautiful piece of nature reserve managed by Brabants Landschap. Swallows nest in the banks and the kingfisher is also a regular guest in this nature reserve. At 58 we keep right and walk, mostly along the river, towards 68 (we could not find the pole, but it must be near Brasserie Boven de rivieren). Now we have to pay attention: turn right towards the village edge, turn right again (along the dike below) and at 67 turn right for part II of the floodplain. We walk between the cows, along the river. The landscape of yesteryear on our left, ultramodern barges on the river to the right, and in the distance right in front of us the arches of the Merwede Bridge. We keep walking along the river until we reach the never-used, accidentally placed bridge piers. There we turn left toward 66. We leave the thicket behind to turn right on the dike towards 49. Here we turn left down the dike, onto Notenlaan, and then take the 2nd right (footpath between the houses) opposite Herman de Ruij- terweg. We follow this Giethoorn-like path to 45 and turn left towards 44. This is a tricky part and we take care when crossing. On the bike path we turn right towards 41, right again towards 77 and straight on towards 26. We are back where the trip began. We find a nice spot on the terrace at Fort Altena. Cheers!
Overview of all our routes in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie
We start at Fort Bakkerskil (Kildijk 143 in Nieuwendijk), a unique bed & breakfast with a nice terrace and situated on the edge of National Park De Biesbosch. The fort is part of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie and a little further on is the Papsluis from 1815, an inlet that could flood the land when threatened.
We walk a short distance over the dike towards 13 to descend (through a gate) towards 15. This walk is part of a route set out by farmers called 'Oostwaardpad'.
A beautiful initiative where proud farmers make their field edges available to hikers. Along the way we also come across reference and information boards. Very handy when we sometimes miss the arrows of the junction network! Having arrived at 15 we turn left in the direction of 11. On the left we see the Papsluis lock. An imposing structure and we can imagine how important this lock was in the strategic plan of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie. We walk along the small river Bakkerskil, sometimes along a field, sometimes through a small forest.
After 11, we follow the signs to 85, where there is a tow ferry to the other side. Although we stay on this side of the water, we try the ferry to take a few photos. From 85 we walk to 84 (the route can also be extended to 83 here) and keep right towards 10. We enjoy the typical Dutch polder landscape with, depending on the month, views of sugar beets, onions and potatoes. We follow 17. Crossing the fields is quite tough here and there. Heading toward 15, the route is a nice variety of groves and vistas. The shade of the trees provides coolness in summer and makes us curious about the rest. Again we walk in a straight line along arable land, with a right angle turn to the left at the end. After 17 we walk back via 15 and 13 and are back at Fort Bakkerskil where we enjoy a well-deserved cup of coffee and goodies. Have fun!
Dogs are not allowed on this route due to crossing farmland. The summer terrace at Fort Bakkerskil is open all week from May through September from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. for coffee and pastries. From Thursday through Sunday, you can also have lunch there. Please note, in heavy rain, the unpaved paths are muddy. So put on good shoes/boots.
Overview of all our routes in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie
Cycling & Stories along the Line
You are in the southernmost part of the New Dutch Waterline. Here you will find the largest collection of WW1 shelters in the Netherlands. For a long time, many of these shelters were not visibly present in the landscape. Some even disappeared completely underground. Farmers who wanted to get rid of one of these shelters dug a hole and the stand was dumped in. Others used it as a pigsty or made a flower box out of loose parts.
Around 2009, the shelters, and their historical value, were rediscovered. Erfgoed Altena enthusiastically picked up the project to make the shelters visible. Helped by Arie Schouten of the Menno van Coehoorn Foundation and driven by Kees van Maastrigt (who wrote a book about mobilization in this region), more shelters were discovered which, together with the forts, listening wells, sluices and trenches, formed the WW1 line; a unique way of national defense. Parts of the country could be inundated, or flooded to stop the enemy. In WW1, the Netherlands remained neutral and the army was mobilized but not at war. In WW2, the Netherlands was occupied by the German army for five years.
Want to know more about the New Dutch Waterline?Then visit Fort Giessen and the adjacent education park. Check in advance for current opening hours at www.forten.nl
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
We put our ear to the ground with excerpt 6 of the audio tour:
Meanwhile ... at the military station ...
The military office in Uitwijk was not the only one in the area. Every village along the line had a military office, employing officials called scribes, who arranged matters for the stationed soldiers, such as leave and pay (salary).
The military office knew which soldier could be found where. Perhaps at a fort, in the barn at the Koppel, in an encampment or even billeted with civilians. Letters from home could be delivered quickly to their destination.
A telegraph operator also always worked at such a military station. With a telegraph, which converted signs into an electric on-off signal, information was sent over long distances without time difference; the telegram.
Not always were such modern techniques used. In every place where a commander was stationed, you would also find a pigeon post. Partly because telephone cables had not yet been installed everywhere, the carrier pigeon was actually a common form of communication. Sending a postcard is something of all times. A week after the start of mobilization, a soldier sent his first postcard home. In telegram style, that is, and he did so in order to put as much information on it as possible.
Oostwaardpad 23 km (can be shortened to 7.5 km, 8.5 km and 15 km detours)
Sometimes you think you know all the places in your own area. How surprising it is then to discover something new! And not just anything, but something you would like to take others to because it has made such an impression on you.
You'll find spots like that along the Oostwaardpad; a hiking trail across farmland in the Oostwaard on the edge of National Park De Biesbosch. The route runs along and across fields and creeks. You walk, marvel and take a ferry across the Bakkerskil.
Each time you walk the trail, the view is different. The fields are still bare, just sown, full of crops or have just been harvested. You see the farmers toiling and plowing.
Enjoy the flora and fauna in the vast landscape and be moved by fairy-tale still lifes you just happen to find yourself in during this hike.
The route on the Oostwaardpad brings tranquility above all. If you want a relaxing walk through a beautiful natural area, then you should really explore this part of the Biesbosch Line.
Sometimes a deer suddenly appears at the edge of a field or a beaver swims in a body of water. Of course, you never know where and when. Nature is unpredictable and unimaginably beautiful. That is what makes the Oostwaard so attractive for peace seekers and nature lovers.
Learn more about the Oostwaard Route, and more routes across farmland, at the Agrarian Nature Association's folder. Keep in mind that the route can be very muddy when it rains a lot.
Overview of all our routes in the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie