De Bilt, Bunnik and Soesterberg

Zeist is first mentioned in a charter from 838. The core of the former settlement was located around the current 1st and 2nd Dorpsstraat, where a church was built at the end of the twelfth century. The current church was built in the nineteenth century, but still contains the original tower of the old church. The development of Zeist was radically influenced by the construction of Slot Zeist in 1685. Many exhibitions of modern artists were held in the beautiful castle. In addition, Zeist has a few other beautiful monuments, such as the Huis Ter Wege and Castle Lovdalla. You will find beautiful nature reserves around Zeist and Soesterberg. Groot Heidestein is characterized by vast coniferous and mixed forests with alternating heaths, shifting sands and arable lands, but Boswachterij Dorst is also great for cycling. Birds use the heath remnants and the deciduous groves as breeding grounds; sparrow hawk, tree falcon and various woodpecker species and various butterflies have found their way to the area. Brown oak page, heather blue, variegated tadpole, rookie and the small kingfisher butterfly are no exceptions in the healthy nature of this area. Before you start your bike ride or when you return, you can have your bike serviced at Profile Rene. As a true cycling enthusiast you naturally want your bicycle to remain in excellent condition and the location of the bicycle specialist is close to the parking lot. So take the opportunity to make your bike tip-top again. With the bicycle discount pass you receive a 10 euro discount. The first two sights you will see on your tour are Fort Rhynauwen and a castle of the same name. The fort is part of the New Dutch Waterline and the Defense Line of Utrecht. It was built in a strategic place and defended the surrounding area and the land behind. The total defense line runs from Muiden to the Biesbosch and covers 85 kilometers. Not only did forts help to guard the border line, but water was also used as an effective means of whacking enemies. The Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie has been designated as a national landscape since 2005, and four years later the entire line was given the status of a national monument. Since 2010, the defense line has been a candidate for UNESCO's World Heritage List. And rightly so, because the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie is a beautiful nature reserve with forts, shelters for birds and protected animal species and hydraulic feats that are visible and hidden in the landscape. Rhynauwen Castle is located on the right bank of the Rhine, just outside the town of Bunnik. The house is first mentioned in the thirteenth century, but the current castle dates from the eighteenth century. The house was built on the site where its predecessor stood. The building is owned by the municipality of Utrecht and in 2013 there is a youth hostel located in the castle. There are more beautiful sights within a radius of one kilometer. Castle Oud-Amelisweerd near Bunnik, for example, is first mentioned in the thirteenth century. The house functioned as a residence and was destroyed in 1672 by French troops. In 1770 the country house was rebuilt as a summer house for the then owner. The estate then served as a home for another 2 centuries, after which it was sold to the municipality of Utrecht in 1951. The castle and estate will be opened in autumn 2013. The Roman altar has an inscription that reads:"For the Mother Goddesses of Noricum, Anneus Maximus, soldier of the First Legion Minervia, fulfilled his vow, gladly and with reason.\\\" This inscription suggests that this is a memorial altar for the soldier Anneus, who was stationed in Bonn from the end of the first century. Nieuw Amelisweerd is also a castle near Bunnik. The castle is first mentioned in 1350 and, just like Oud-Amelisweerd, this house was also heavily damaged in 1672. The medieval house was demolished in 1682 and the current country house was built in the same year. In 1971, a group of squatters moved into the country house and on their initiative, the house was restored in 1984. Today the house has 17 apartments.