Culemborg, Nieuwegein and Everdingen

This route follows the course of the beautiful river De Lek, which runs past Culemborg, Vianen, Nieuwegein and Nieuwpoort, among others. According to archaeological research, the Lek was created around 200 BC and is now used by ships to deliver goods further inland. The mysterious depth and power of the river sets the mood during your bike ride and offers beautiful views over the water. Just south of Utrecht and just north of Vianen lies a former growth center of Utrecht: Nieuwegein. The agglomeration was created in 1971, after the municipalities of Jutphaas and Vreeswijk were merged. The name comes from an old settlement in the area between Jutphaas and Vreeswijk, called Geyne, which was corrupted to Nieuwegein. The small town of Culemborg provides a great contrast to the young, densely populated municipality. Originally, Culemborg, located in the Lower Betuwe, was a trading village. In the fourteenth century, a city wall was built and a city moat was dug to keep out gangs and enemy troops. A small part of the city wall is still standing, making it the oldest existing original city wall in the Netherlands. The route starts at Profile de Kroon. You can have your bicycle checked here for defects. You will receive a 10.00 euro discount on (quick) maintenance and any repairs upon presentation of your bicycle discount pass. It is therefore definitely advisable to have your bike checked here before you start this more than thirty kilometer long route, on which you will see a number of beautiful defenses. The Work on the Groeneweg is located along the Lek near Schalkwijk and is part of the New Dutch Waterline. The position had to withstand a possible attack on Fort Honswijk from the east. The many group shelters and casemates can still be found in the landscape. The area around the fort has been partially leveled and overgrown with trees and shrubs. The Lunet aan de Snel is a defensive structure north of Fort Honswijk and also served to defend this fort. In 1873, the wall of the lunette was reinforced and a bomb-proof building was placed along the lunette. A new inundation channel was also dug as additional defense. The Lunet aan de Snel is sporadically used by the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Service as a storage space for found explosives. As a result, the site is not accessible to the public. Fort Honswijk was the first and largest tower fort in the New Dutch Waterline and was built around 1845. The bomb-proof tower is surrounded by a moat and the job was to protect the Lekacces. The fort was greatly improved between 1879 and 1888, with a bombproof gate, a casemate, four depots and a warehouse built. The forts on the water are interrupted by another building: the former Grijpestein castle near Houten. According to the episcopal loan register, the house was loaned to knight Otto van Asperen in 1381. The castle remained in the possession of the De Ridder van Groenestein family until the eighteenth century. Afterwards, a farm called"Grijpestein\\\" was built on the site of the castle. The farm is inhabited and not accessible to the public. Then you come to Fort WKU, which was built in 1877 to defend Fort Honswijk. On the site you will find a large warehouse that was used for storing artillery and along the warehouse there is a barracks where the troops stayed. Behind this there is a draw. Anyone who wants to view the grounds and buildings can go there on Sunday afternoon. The Work on the Waalse Wetering is a fort that was built in 1875, with a barracks and an artillery depot in the wall. The fort had room for 94 soldiers and ten guns. This made it relatively small. The fort keeper's house is also located nearby so that they could be on site quickly. Fort Vreeswijk was built around 1853. It was located right next to the Lekdijk, in front of the village of Vreeswijk and defended the most important locks. Because it was far behind the fortifications of Fort Honswijk, little changed at a later stage. Nowadays the fort is used as a meeting centre. The last fort you will encounter during this tour is Fort Everdingen. This fort is also part of the New Dutch Waterline. It was named after the village of the same name. The fort served to defend the Lekacces and was built around 1845. The fort has three locks for the inundation of the polder between Diefdijk and Culemborg.