Liberation Route (Arnhem, Renkum and Driel)

Follow the path that the Allies took to liberate the Netherlands and discover what happened in the Arnhem-Nijmegen region during the Second World War. There are marked field boulders at more than eighty places along the Liberation Route Arnhem Nijmegen, where you can listen to radio plays. Civilians, Allies and German soldiers share impressive experiences they had around these places. You can download their stories for free at www.liberationroute.com. They can also be listened to via 0900-5423728. During Operation Market Garden in September 1944, one of the largest airborne operations in history took place here. You can find more information about the region at the start and end point of the route, VVV Arnhem (Stationsplein 13, Arnhem). Here you can look up or review the final details of your route before you start your bike tour. Less than half a kilometer from the starting point, the first field boulder is already in sight. At L27: A devastation tells about the civilian casualties that occurred in Arnhem when German barracks were bombed. Along the way you cross the Rhine and cycle across the Westerbouwing. This is a high moraine that emerged during the last ice age. The strategic location was very important, because whoever owned this hill controlled the river, the floodplains, both banks and the village of Driel. At the Westerbouwing you will encounter L21: Retreat of the 1st British Airborne Division, where you can listen to the tactical German response that the Allied troops received when they wanted to take the bridges of Arnhem. This made the liberation difficult and the airborne division had to withdraw. L20: Paratrooper and glider landings and L25: airborne landings were part of Operation Market Garden. Thousands of paratroopers and gliders could be seen in the sky before the Allies descended and drove out the Germans. Just before the end of the cycle tour you can stop at the last boulder, where L26: Urquhart can be heard as if it were dead. At this last stop you will hear how Major General Urquhart, one of the most important commanders during the Battle of Arnhem, takes stock of the advance of his troops and ends up in the line of fire. Finally you arrive back at VVV Arnhem. If you want a nice souvenir of your day full of history, you can go to the tourist shop for a nice souvenir.