A tour around the Utrechtse Heuvelrug

This beautiful route from Veenendaal takes you over the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and through the Amerongen forest. This region is known for its many estates and you will soon spot the first one: behind a perfectly circular driveway rise the turrets of the beautiful country estate Prattenburg. Prattenburg is located in the Prattenburgsche Bosch on the northern flank of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, near the transition to the Gelderse Vallei. The castle-like country house is located between the trees of the park-like surroundings. It was built between 1887 and 1890 in eclectic style on the site of an earlier house, which probably dated from the late 16th or early 17th century. The coach house, with its special stepped gable, is located to the left of the country house.

It is worth stopping here for a walk. Prattenburg was an estate with an agricultural component for a long time, but this only came to an end with the new construction at the end of the 19th century. During the construction of the house designed by EG Wentinck in 1887, the garden and park were also changed. In the forest that had been divided into sections until then, the current walking forest with winding paths, the'Engelse Werk\\\', was created. In 1890, the family grave was also built here. Around 1925, a large, deep winding pond was dug out, surrounded by rhododendrons.

Afterwards, have a cup of coffee in style at Residence Rhenen, hidden in the woods. The former Orangery houses the à la carte Restaurant de Rotisserie. This contemporary restaurant has a beautiful open kitchen, where the dishes are prepared under the watchful eye of the guests. The restaurant is open seven days a week from 11:30 for lunch (also sandwiches) and dinner. In the summer, you can enjoy lunch, dinner or just a good glass of wine outside on the beautiful terrace.

In the western part of the Bovenpolder, partridge and corncrake also breed. Every now and then, even the fish eagle and sea eagle are seen. So keep your binoculars at hand!

You cycle along the floodplains to another castle. Ridderhofstad Natewisch was when it was first mentioned, Natewisch was a fief of Gelre and thus a Gelderland enclave within Het Sticht. The first feudal lord was called Gijsbert van Zuylen. Within the Gelderland fief law, it is also possible to inherit via the female line and that did happen once. The Natewisch was owned by the Van Zuylen van Natewisch family from 1270 to 1689, but in 1663 David III van Zuylen van Natewisch died and his daughter Emerentia inherited Natewisch. In 1689 this daughter Emerentina Geertruid van Zuylen died. She was married to Joost Taets van Amerongen, and thus the Natewisch came into the possession of this family. Since then it has always remained in the same family.

The house Bergestein, also called Berkestein, was also a knight's manor, but little remains of it now. Before 1566, Bergestein was known as 'Huis op den Hoeven'. On the site of the castle there was a farm with a coat of arms of the castle in the facade, but it was demolished to build a new house. The moat is still visible on the south side. The castle grounds are now an orchard and pasture.

The Duurstede ruin is a romantic spot. The current complex is dominated by the high round Burgundian tower and the square tower. The actual ruin consists of facade remains of the former residential wings on the west and south sides of the castle complex. Further on, above Wijk bij Duurstede, you can see another beautiful spot: the Groenestein ruin, but here only a gatehouse and part of the moat remain.

What you also come across here every now and then are sheepfolds. The entire municipality of Utrechtse Heuvelrug has 31 of them! The buildings are reminiscent of the history of sheep farming. With their typical shape, wooden facades and thatched roofs, they are characteristic buildings that are of great cultural-historical value. Most sheepfolds have now been given a new function and are thus preserved for the future. Take a look at the sheepfold.