Forts near Leerdam

\\\"Glasstad\\\" Leerdam is located on the Linge, surrounded by reed beds and water lilies. The town was founded in 1143 and was then called"Ter Leede\\\". Leerdam obtained city rights from the Lord of Arkel in 1382 and again in 1407 from Willem IV Van Holland. In the eighteenth century, the wood and glass industry took off and the town prospered. The rich history of Leerdam can still be seen in the old buildings, such as the Grote Kerk, the Hofje museum of Mrs van Aerden and the remaining city walls, which have been restored. It is not only the glassblowers from the Netherlands and abroad who do their work in the Glass Center from Easter to the end of September that are making Leerdam famous; Leerdammer cheese has also become a well-known (export) product.

The cycle route takes you to various forts in the region. The first is the Work on railway Diefdijk. This fortification was built in 1880 on both sides of the Dordrecht-Elst railway. The railway cut through the Waterline and had to be protected. There were movable crane bridges in front of and behind the work. One unique example can still be viewed.

Two kilometers further you will also see KunstFort Asperen. Art and history lovers will get their money's worth here. This fort is the first'art fort\\\' in the Netherlands; Since 1981, annual cultural events and exhibitions have been organized here. In the past, the tower fortress was surrounded by a moat and could only be reached via a wooden drawbridge. Fort Asperen is part of the New Dutch Waterline and is an imposing monument.

You cycle to Fort bij de Nieuwe Steeg/Geofort, also known as Fort bij Herwijnen. The fortress was built in 1879 as part of the New Dutch Waterline. This fort closed off a blind bend in the Linge and Lingedijk and was an important pillar for the older works of Fort Asperen and the Wapenplaats. The fort has a unique, bombproof barracks, which consists of two buildings. Next to the barracks, a canal with a drawbridge and guardhouse was constructed. In the decades after the Second World War, the fort lost its military function and became the property of Staatsbosbeheer. The access bridge was rebuilt in 2006 and a restoration took place in 2011. The fort has since been set up as the"GeoExperience\\\", an educational attraction in the field of cartography and navigation.