An oasis of tranquility around Veenendaal

From Veenendaal, you embark on a cycling tour with two distinct landscapes, as you ride across the Utrechtse Heuvelrug and through the Gelderse Vallei. First, you cycle southwards, into the woods. On your left, you pass the former Plantage Willem III. In the nineteenth century, several tobacco plantations were situated on this relatively warm south-facing slope. In the early 1900s, cultivation became less profitable due to crop diseases and the influx of cheaper and better foreign tobacco. Via the Amerongse Bos and several adjacent estates, you descend into the vast Gelderse Vallei. You pass through Scherpenzeel, a charming old village where you can see, among other things, the Reformed Church dating back to 1300. At Restaurant De Dennen, it is time for a drink on the terrace, after which you ride through Renswoude. Just before Veenendaal, you pass two fortifications from the Grebbelinie.