To Vianen and along the Lek to Culemborg

This tour to Vianen and Culemborg takes you through the vast peat meadow area of the Alblasserwaard.

Polder mill de Bonkmolen, beautifully situated on the Merwedekanaal, was built in 1853. It drained the Lakerveld polder, together with the Vlietmolen and the Lekkersche Molen, which no longer exists. The Bonkmolen pumps out the water using a scoop wheel with a diameter of 5.90 metres. Would you like to take a look? The mill can be visited on Saturdays.

Vianen was once home to the 14th-century Batestein Castle, which was added with beautiful ornamental gardens in 1630. It burned down in 1696 and was subsequently demolished. Today, all you can admire is the courtyard gate, and underground wall remains have been preserved.

You cycle along the banks of the Lek to Fort Everdingen. This former part of the New Dutch Waterline was built in 1847. Together with Fort Honswijk on the other side of the Lek, the fort hermetically sealed off the elevated passage of the Lek dikes and the floodplains. The fort is not open to the public.

A kilometre further along the Lek lies fort Werk aan het Spoel, from 1824. This fort was also part of the New Dutch Waterline and its purpose was to protect the fan lock that was located there. With this lock the polder between Culemborg and the Diefdijk could be flooded. Nowadays you can find catering in the fort and there are all kinds of cultural activities.

You cycle to Culemborg. In the 14th century, a city wall and moat were built here to keep gangs and enemy troops out of the city. The 14th century city wall can still be seen in several places. It is the oldest existing original city wall in the Netherlands. In Culemborg, the porridge bell rings every evening at 21:55. In the days when the city gates closed at 22:00, farm workers were warned that it was time to go home for their bowl of porridge.