Cycling along the Lek

This route with the VVV Utrecht starting point leads you through the wetland area between Utrecht, Nieuwegein and Houten, containing the New Dutch Waterline (www.hollandsewaterlinie.nl). Immediately upon leaving Utrecht you will come across the first structures of the Waterline. The Lunettes, to the left and right of the Koningsweg, form the innermost and oldest ring of defenses of the Waterline around the city. The Fort for Democracy, an educational center, is located in Fort Lunet 1 (www.fortvandedemocratie.nl). Fort Vechten (www.fortvechten.nl), the National Waterline Centre, is the largest fort of the Waterline after Fort bij Rijnauwen, located in the nearby Landgoed Amelisweerd. On the continuation of the route you will find a number of smaller forts: Fort't Hemeltje, Werk aan de Overeindse Weg, Fort Jutphaas and Defense Work in Vreeswijk. In Fort Jutphaas wine tasting Trouvaille is worth a visit, the other forts are closed. There are numerous concrete defense works (bunkers) in the area, the most eye-catching building being the Plofsluis. This gigantic concrete construction (40x60 m) was intended to close off the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal, which ran underneath it at the time. This was done by causing the bottom of the container, which was filled with debris, to explode. In this way, the water needed to inundate (= submerge) the area east of the canal, could not flow away to the IJsselmeer. In 1982, the canal had to be widened and because it was too expensive to demolish the huge sluice, the canal was dug around it. This cycle route is offered to you by VVV Utrecht. For more information, visit www.visit-utrecht.nl.