Bommelerwaard castle route

The Bommelerwaard is best explored by bike. The landscape is varied with dikes and floodplains, castles, estates and picturesque villages. The area is enclosed by the rivers Maas and Waal.

Start and end this route in one of the best preserved moated castles in the Netherlands: Ammersoyen Castle. Discover the castle with its meters-thick walls, the impressive knight's hall and the real moat. Cycling along the dikes you always have a beautiful view of the floodplains and the water. Along the way, visit the town of Zaltbommel, where culture and history go hand in hand. Here you can also visit Stadskasteel Zaltbommel, the former Maarten van Rossum house. Today, the City Castle houses a museum.

Further along the route you will pass through the town of Rossum. A castle was - probably - built here in the 13th century by the Van Rossum family (the ancestors of Maarten van Rossum). Unfortunately, this castle was completely destroyed during the siege of Zaltbommel in 1599. A few centuries later, a smaller building was built on the site of the ruin, which was replaced by the current country house in 1850 by Baron Van Randwijck. Finally, you cycle past the Slot van Well or the Huis van Malsen. This moated castle was probably built in the 14th century in the form of a residential tower. Over the centuries it was further expanded until it was severely damaged in 1672. In 1884 the castle was renovated and expanded with a new front building with battlements. The drawbridge and gatehouse were built in 1934.

Variation tip: take the Alem ferry (junction 98) to extend the route.