To Vianen and along the lek to Culemborg

This ride to Vianen and Culemborg takes you through the extensive peat meadow area of the Alblasserwaard.

The Bonkmolen polder mill, beautifully situated on the Merwede Canal, was built in 1853. It drained the Lakerveld polder, together with the Vlietmolen and the Lekkersche Molen, which no longer exists. The Bonkmolen extracts the water using a paddle wheel of 5.90 meters in diameter. Would you like to take a look? The mill can be visited on Saturdays.

The 14th-century Batestein Castle once stood in Vianen, where beautiful ornamental gardens were created in 1630. It burned down in 1696 and was then demolished. Nowadays you can only admire the courtyard gate and wall remains have been preserved underground.

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 closed off the high passage of the Lek dikes and the floodplains. The fort is not open to the public.

A kilometer further along the Lek is Fort Werk aan het Spoel, dating 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. This lock made it possible to flood the polder between Culemborg and the Diefdijk. Nowadays you will find catering and all kinds of cultural activities in the fort.

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 various places. It is the oldest existing original city wall in the Netherlands. In Culemborg the porridge bell rings every evening at 9:55 p.m. At a time when the city gates closed at 10 p.m., agricultural workers were warned that it was time to go home for their bowl of porridge.