Special forts between the Linge and the Waal

From Asperen you take a tour in the area between the winding Linge and the mighty Waal. Along the way you will be amazed at the forts along the route, which now have very special functions. The start and end point of the route is Hotel Restaurant de Schildkamp in Asperen. The hotel is located on the Linge. Hotel guests enjoy peace, space and hospitality in comfortable hotel rooms. Guests who are not staying overnight can also stay at the hotel all day long to enjoy breakfast, lunch or a delicious dinner. And on summer days it is wonderful to relax on the terrace. Merckenburg Castle, or Heukelum Castle, is a brick castle from the 13th century. The castle has been destroyed and rebuilt twice. The first time was in the 14th century, the second time in 1672 when the French blew up the building during the Dutch War. The keep was spared and the castle was restored around 1700. The interior of Heukelum Castle is now of great historical importance, but the upholstery, furniture and paintings are very vulnerable. That is why the castle is not open to the public. The Fort at the Nieuwe Steeg / Geofort is a fortress island of 3.5 hectares. At first glance it is just a rolling grass landscape, but it used to be part of the New Dutch Waterline. The fort now houses a theme park in the field of cartography and navigation. You can experiment with various geotechniques indoors and outdoors. You become disoriented in the dark underground corridor. You will be challenged in the maze and become fascinated by maps in the barracks. Children can search in the bat detective garden of Staatsbosbeheer. An adventure for young and old! Fort Asperen is also part of the New Dutch Waterline. There is a moat surrounding the complex and a drawbridge takes you inside the walls. The building has exterior walls one and a half meters thick. The three floors have a cellar, the ground floor with gun embrasures, the first floor with cannon embrasures and an earthen upper battery. The special thing about this fort is that it has been used as an Art Fort during the summer months since the 1980s. The KunstFort Asperen Foundation organizes high-profile art and design exhibitions there. There are also educational activities for young and old. Would you like to explore another area from Asperen? Anyone who chooses an overnight stay in this place can get back on their bike the next day with cycle route 134811.