You cycle from village to village, through the Leurse and Hernense forest and along extensive fields and meadows. The largest village you will visit during your cycle tour is Wijchen. With more than 41,000 inhabitants, the village balances on the edge between village and city. There are a number of beautiful historical sights in the town, such as the centrally located Wijchen Castle and the Anonius Abtkerk. In the center you can find several indoor shops and specialty shops, so it is nice to shop or sit on a terrace and watch people while enjoying a snack or a drink in the sun.
Hotel Restaurant Halls Hoogeerd
The start and end point of the route is Hotel Restaurant Zalen Hoogeerd. This beautiful hotel is located directly on the Maas and has beautiful surroundings. You can enjoy the beautiful nature and the beautiful views that the river area has to offer. The hotel rooms are luxuriously furnished and the restaurant has a number of delicious dishes on the menu. If you decide to stay overnight at the hotel, you can take advantage of our cycling package. Route 120878 also leads from the hotel through the area, so you can enjoy a real cycling weekend!
Ravenstein
You cross the river and cycle via WV Windkracht 13, a water sports club with a harbor where approximately 60 permanent places are available and beautiful pleasure boats and yachts, to the museum for flat glass and enamel art in Ravenstein. Here you can admire beautiful stained glass and enamel works or follow workshops about the craftsmanship with which these works are made. There was a castle in the historic city center of Ravenstein, which was demolished in 1818. The castle gate is the only remnant of the historic fortress and is located in a private house in 2013. The brickwork of the gate proves that the gate was built around 1360, at the same time as the castle. The gate, which used to contain a portcullis, separated the city from the outer bailey. During your tour you will also come across the Batenburg ruins. The castle was built in the year 527 and was destroyed by the French in 1794. Before that, the fortress had already experienced several previous sieges, during which it emerged badly damaged. The castle is one of the oldest and most important castles in Gelderland.
Mills
Batenburg Mill is the next stop, this post mill from the eighteenth century was used as a flour mill. Since 1972, the Batenburgmolen has been owned by the De Hollandse Molen Association in Amsterdam. The mill was restored no fewer than four times (in 1913, 1960, 1977 and 1996). In 2013, the mill is still active on a voluntary basis. You can usually view it on Wednesdays between 1:30 PM and 5:00 PM. You drive past the old water tower of Wijchen to the Old Mill. This belt mill was built in 1799 and was used as a flour mill. In 1910 a tornado destroyed part of the mill and they took the opportunity to completely rebuild the mill. The repaired blade system lasted until 1939, when the mill received new, more streamlined blades. Because vandals took possession of the Oude Molen in 2001, it came to a standstill that year, but the historic building was quickly restored so that he could continue to grind grain on a professional basis. Finally you arrive at the characteristic castle of Wijchen, which dates from the end of the fourteenth century. Until the seventeenth century, the castle was used as a defense structure, after which it served as a home. The castle had fallen into such disrepair in 1900 that a major restoration effort was necessary. However, a fire put a stop to this, although the fortress was later renovated. The tower was last restored in the 1990s and is now used as a town hall and museum.
25.6 km
451 kcal
11 m
