Crooked Rhine & Riverland Route

The Kromme Rijnstreek is part of the Rivierenland National Landscape. This varied route takes you over dikes, past floodplains, agricultural landscapes and along the forests of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. You cycle past mills, a brick factory and various castles. The tour ends in the historic city centre of Wijk bij Duurstede, where you can wander around and perhaps end the day with a nice dinner in one of the many restaurants! You can determine the length of the route yourself, 30 or 50 kilometres. With the ferry you cross to the Betuwe, towards Culemborg, there you take the ferry back across the Lek, to return to the Kromme Rijnstreek. Cothen is a nice resting point, including at the cheese farm. In the village you will find the grain mill Oog in 't Zeil. If the sails are turning, you are welcome to visit. There are also two catering establishments in the village, both with a terrace. During the cherry season, it is wonderful to eat cherries in Cothen. In the spring, there is plenty of blossom to be seen in this area! In the last part of the route, you will pass castles, including the Sandenburg. The surrounding estates are often accessible for a walk. For example, during this cycle route we will pass the Darthuizen estate. The red brick country house is centrally located in the landscape park and slightly elevated, so that there is a view of the surrounding meadows surrounded by forest. These originally belonged to a farm complex established on site. The large-scale, but enclosed garden and park in landscape style was designed by LA Springer in 1917. On the left side of the house is a small walking forest; on the right behind the house is an irregularly shaped pond and on the right in front is the remains of an originally much larger orchard. Approximately 3 kilometers before the end point, you will pass a farmer's golf course. The end point is the city center of Wijk bij Duurstede. This cycle route is offered to you by VVV Wijk bij Duurstede. For more information, visit www.vvvwijkbijduurstede.nl. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ #Culinary tip Celebrate cherry season and try this surprising recipe'Cherry-chocolate brownie\\\' Ingredients 150 g dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa content) 125 g butter 100 g cherries (pitted and coarsely chopped) 60 g coarsely chopped walnuts 225 g sugar 55 g cocoa powder 75 g flour Pinch of salt 3/4 tsp baking powder 3 eggs 50 g chocolate chips Directions Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Chop the dark chocolate into small pieces. Mix the chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a pan of hot water (au bain-marie) and let the chocolate melt slowly. Mix the cherries with the walnuts. Stir about 2/3 of them through the melted chocolate. In another bowl, mix the sugar with the cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking powder. Add this to the chocolate and stir until it is a homogeneous mixture. Beat in the eggs. Pour the batter into a greased baking tin and divide the remaining cherries and walnuts and the chocolate chips or chocolate chopped into small pieces over it. Bake the brownie for 25 minutes. The whole thing should still feel soft in the middle. Let the brownie cool completely and then cut it into square pieces. Extra tasty with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.