Amerongen Tour

The starting point for this bike tour is Cafe Restaurant Hotel De Buitenlust, a cozy establishment in the picturesque Amerongen. This small village lies at the foot of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park and has indeed steep streets here and there. The Utrechtse Heuvelrug consists largely of a moraine, formed in the ice age, which reaches heights of around 60 meters above NAP. But the national park also has heathlands, drifting sands and floodplains. The Heuvelrug is the largest forest area in the Netherlands after the Veluwe. The first part of the bike tour goes from Amerongen to Overberg straight through the forest and is quite tough due to the differences in altitude.

After passing under the A12 motorway and over the railway, you cycle past the remains of the Grebbelinie, an old defensive structure that dates back to around 1700 and served to defend the Gelderse Vallei. It was still in service until the Second World War. A few years ago, the line was thoroughly restored and a complete educational path was built. The Battery on the Schalmdijk, just past the hamlet of Emminkhuizen, is an earthen defensive structure in the Grebbelinie, surrounded by wet moats.

The Fort aan de Buursteeg, located a little further away, is one of the largest and most important defences of the Grebbelinie. It was built in 1786 at the place where the Buursteeg and the Slaperdijk intersect. Due to the size of the fort, several hundred soldiers could bivouac within the ramparts. It offered space for soldiers in the war of 1794-\\\'95 against the French, was on the front line during the May days of 1940 and was a German stronghold when the Allies approached from Ede.

You go under the A12 again and cycle in Veenendaal past the two windmills De Vriendschap and the Nieuwe Molen. The latter grinds flour for sale to consumers. Via the suburbs of Veenendaal you arrive at the Prattenburg estate to the south of this place. The estate consists largely of forest with a few small fens and heathlands. On the estate there is a house built in 1887 with a castle-like appearance surrounded by a garden in landscape style.

Then it is a short climb on the Utrechtse Heuvelrug before you can descend again towards the Nederrijn. At Elst you take the ferry that takes you to the other side of the water where the Betuwe lies. In the floodplains near Ingen lie the remains of Geldersweert Castle, a fortified house of the Dukes of Gelre. The castle was demolished at the beginning of the 19th century. The name Geldersweert has been kept alive since 2003 by the name of the ferry Ingen-Elst. Via the Rijnbanddijk with a view of the floodplains on one side and the Betuwe on the other side, you cycle to the next ferry that takes you back to Amerongen.

There you pass Amerongen Castle, which has been beautifully restored and fits in with Muiderslot and Loevenstein Castle. You can visit the castle and view the changing exhibitions. There are regular concerts and festivals at the castle. The beautiful garden of about ten hectares is also particularly worth seeing. So if you still have time, at the end of the bike ride, Amerongen Castle is really recommended!