Hardinxveld-Giessendam, Gorinchem and Hoornaar

Be amazed by the vast, flat landscape of the Netherlands. You can look hundreds of meters away over fields and farms and farmlands stand out like dots on the horizon. Beautiful houses stand on large plots of land, while the plots of the various plots are demarcated and intersected by ditches excavated straight. The peace and space that characterizes the landscape between Hoornaar, Hardinxveld-Giessendam and Gorinchem provides a relaxed feeling in a typically Dutch setting. The largest place the cycle tour passes through is Gorinchem. The city probably originated when fishermen and farmers founded a settlement here around the year 1000, in the mouth of the Linge and Merwede. In the thirteenth century, the area and the city became the property of the Lords of Arkel and they ensured that the city was further fortified. In the mid-fourteenth century, the raised ramparts were reinforced with stone walls. There were a total of 23 towers and seven gates, creating a real city wall. The beginning of a real city was a fact! During your bike ride you could pass the Jan van Arkel corn mill in the Arkel. The octagonal mill was built in 1852 on a site where a polder mill had stood in the years before. In 1946 the mill became the property of the municipality of Arkel and until 1952 the part of the mill that was located under the attic was inhabited. The mill was then rented to a miller, who started grinding corn again using wind power with the Jan van Arkel. From 1955 onwards, a diesel engine was used when there was no wind, so that grain production for animal feed could continue. Anyone who wants to visit the flour mill can view the inside of the national monument on Saturdays. Before or after your cycle route, you can take your bike to Profile Kramer (F) for a thorough maintenance. The branch is located near the parking lot where you can park your car for free. As an avid cyclist, it is important to have your bicycle properly maintained, and who can do this better than a bicycle specialist? On presentation of your bicycle discount pass you will receive a discount of 10 euros on the work.