Enjoy the Green Heart

This short walk through the floodplains below Bemmel is beautiful for its different views from the inner and outer dikes. Floodplains have traditionally been designed to collect water during times when the river flows out of its bed due to high water. Because of their wet soil, the floodplains are always very popular with water and meadow birds, who can enjoy all the benthic animals here.

The area is therefore very popular with meadow bird watchers. From the dike you can easily spot lapwings, black-tailed godwits and oystercatchers or geese, but you will also find a number of bird hides along the way. It was also a popular area for the stone industry because the clay in the floodplains was excellent for stone production. In 1881 there were six brickworks each in Gendt, Huissen and Bemmel. Most of the factories have now been abandoned. Brick factory Bemmel is still active, officially located in the village of Haalderen, in the extension of the dike along the Waal (Buitenpolder).

Where you turn left again towards Bemmel, you can see the factory. But from the starting point at the parking lot you first walk along the Bemmelse Waard. This is a recreational lake where you can take a refreshing dip on a nice warm summer day. The lake is also a popular place for divers because of the special underwater panorama.

You walk between the Bemmelse Waard and the sand extraction lake. Pay attention to this because, in addition to the hiking trails, there are also a number of nice footpaths that you can stroll over. Once you have arrived at the outer dike, you have a wonderful view on the right of the Waal, which has just split off from the Rhine here. You walk back to Bemmel via the Waaldijk, where you continue to see left and right how humid this area is with the many puddles and puddles. In the spring and summer, the verges on the dike bloom profusely. If you have time left, it is nice to walk to the center of Bemmel. You will find a charming castle in the heart of the village: De Kinkelenburg. A very popular wedding location.