The many faces of the Achterhoek

Crossing the German border
The starting point of this route is just outside the church village of Lievelde. From here you cycle through the vast Gelderland landscape to Groenlo. This city was founded around the year 610 when the Saxons settled in the Achterhoek. Groenlo was founded on the banks of the Groenlose Slinge river. You then cycle further in the direction of Eibergen and then set course for the German border. On the German part of this route you cycle past the nature reserve Het Zwillbrocker Venn. This area was created because peat was cut here in the past and you will find, among other things, a colony of flamingos.

Centuries-old Lievelde
The village of Lievelde is a stone's throw from the holiday homes of Extraordinary Lievelde. This area has been inhabited since the 7th century. The burial mound on the Lievelder Es, a higher area between Lievelde and Groenlo, dates from this time. The area may have been inhabited before then, as pottery shards from the late Bronze Age have been found here.