Dike route along Maas and Waal from Lith

On this route you cycle over beautiful dikes along the meandering floodplains of the Waal and the Maas.

Floodplains were created in the Middle Ages, after the rivers had their first dikes. They are located between the so-called winter dike and the river bed and serve as storage for water from the river. The wider the floodplain, the more plants and animals settle there.

The floodplains of the Waal are part of Natura 2000, a European network of nature reserves. The area is mainly known for its special nature in the wider floodplains. The Maasuiterwaarden are located on the border between Gelderland and Brabant, where the Maas forms the natural border. Special detail: the beaver has been spotted here a number of times after Natuurmonumenten has allowed nature to take its course in the area. The beaver has not been seen in the Netherlands for a few hundred years, but now seems to be returning along the Maasuiterwaarden.