Along the Lower Rhine between Amerongen and Rhenen

You will see the best of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug during this bike tour. Both the Amerong and Zuylestein forests still exude an atmosphere of old estates. Forests are intersected by long avenues. In these forests you will find the pine marten, the bat, but also many special ground beetles. Various plant species give this part of the sand ridge a varied appearance. The Amerongse forest is located on a 69 meter high mountain and is one of the oldest pieces of forest in the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. You park your car at Cafe Restaurant Hotel De Buitenlust. This is how you start the tour over the southernmost part of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and cycle to De Burgwal, located on the edge of Amerongen. Here three sheepfolds have been built close together. A sheepfold is a kind of stable and served as a shelter for sheep that grazed through the heath. In the past, heather sods were used in sheepfolds, which eventually became very fertile stable manure. For example, a sheepfold was multifunctional. The fields were raised by using farmyard manure. These fields were eventually called essen, or engen. Most sheepfolds have an authentic appearance and the bleating residents are often a rewarding sight to look at. These sheepfolds are a nice tourist attraction. On the south side of Amerongen is Amerongen Castle, which has existed since 1286. On July 20 that year, Floris van Holland declared that Henric and Diederic Borre van Amerongen would become his loan men to build the original house. Over the years, the castle has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. The current castle was built in the Dutch Classical style, which was common at that time. Originally it was a feudal house and later it was used as a country residence and as a stately home for noble families. A thorough restoration took place from 2002 to 2011. After your cycling tour, you will return to Cafe Restaurant Hotel De Buitenlust, where you can enjoy a snack and a drink. You can take a seat in the cozy café or on the cozy terrace, where you can catch the last rays of sunshine of the day. In addition to the dishes on the menu, you can also order a daily special, which will taste even better with a cold beer or a good glass of wine. If you really want to get away from it all, you can book an overnight stay at the hotel and use the package with route 148526.