Ø42,0km Nijmegen Gelderland

Gelderland has a rich history and you can now enjoy it even more, with special routes that reveal the most exciting and surprising stories. Go on the road, take your smartphone in hand, watch, listen and be surprised! This route takes you back to the time of the Cold War. After World War II, America and the Soviet Union face each other. The Iron Curtain is erected. Gelderland also fears that the (atomic) bomb will burst. The Cold War leaves its mark with the construction of the IJssellinie (1950-1964). The Arnhem Nijmegen region has many traces of the battle against the Red Danger. Just like in other regions of Gelderland, you will find special places here where you can get acquainted with Exciting History: locations with a striking marking and often a QR code. Scan it with your smartphone and you will immediately receive the audio or video of the place where you are standing - often with a surprising angle. This route starts at Museum Het Valkhof in Nijmegen. The Ooijpolder near Nijmegen contains many relics of the IJssel Line (1950-1964), including a complete emergency hospital. Under the former bank at Klein Mariënburg is an atomic bomb shelter for 100 people. Unfortunately, this is not accessible, but the Defense Dike between Nijmegen and Arnhem is clearly visible: it was built in 1951-1955 to prevent the entire Betuwe from flooding in the event of a Russian invasion. At Bemmel, a floating weir was ready to close off the Waal, an important part of the IJssel line. During the Cuba Crisis, soldiers stood guard here - but where were those feared Russians? At the air guard post on top of Fort Pannerden, volunteers were on the lookout. Even for nothing, luckily! It is exciting, listening to stories about an enemy that never came.