Heilig Landstichting, Berg en Dal and Ooij

Student city Nijmegen is the oldest city in the current Netherlands and celebrated its 2000th anniversary in 2005. It is also the largest city in the province of Gelderland, making it the tenth largest city in the Netherlands. Around Nijmegen you will find a lot of diversity in the landscape: from the floodplains of the Maas and the Waal with meandering dikes to sloping moraines covered with mixed forests, or ponds and meadows. In the valleys you will find stream vegetation, swampy grasslands, heaths and sparse blue grasslands. Nijmegen gained international fame with the large-scale walking event (the Nijmegen Four Days Marches) and the city has a vibrant cultural life and many historic buildings. You will also pass through the smallest village in the Netherlands: Persingen. The settlement, which already existed in the thirteenth century, once grew from a prosperous seigneury, but that time belongs to the past glory of the village. Now only the church and two farms remain. The late Gothic church, whose choir and nave date from the fourteenth century and the tower from the fifteenth century, is used for weddings, funerals and as an exhibition space. M33: Kerkje van Persingen was the first stone structure of Persingen and is listed as a monument. The built-up area offers a sharp contrast with the spacious Ooypolder. This important nature reserve near Nijmegen has a particularly rich and diverse flora and fauna. In the polder, the attentive cyclist can hear a black voice, bittern or great reed warbler whistling, but herds of Galloway cattle and Konik horses can also be seen. Previously, the Ooypolder was used as a'reserve\\\' for the Przewalski horse, which has been reintroduced in Mongolia as a result. On the higher parts you will find sandy soil and shrubs, while in the lower parts many grasses grow in clay soil. Due to the water management, the original marshy soil of the polder has dried up, so that trees in the polder also thrive. There is a watchtower in the middle of the Ooypolder. Make the climb up high, because the view is more than worth it and you can take fantastic photos of the area here! You can park your car for free at Hotel Restaurant Rozenhof. Before and after your bike ride you are welcome on the terrace, to start your day well or to end it in a relaxed way with a snack and a drink. The hotel also has cozy rooms, so if you want to see more of the area, you can also stay overnight. Cycle route 136160 also starts and ends at Hotel Restaurant Rozenhof, so after an overnight stay you can get back on your bike rested and cheerful.