Wijchen, Hernen, Bergharen

If you just want to go for a nice bike ride and get off every now and then for an interesting sight, this cycle route near Wijchen in Gelderland comes highly recommended. You will cycle through Bergharen and Horssen nature reserve, where the vast green foothills of river dunes and woodland are home to rich biodiversity. This was once home to Western Europe's largest badger sett, but due to various factors such as intensive agriculture and the arrival of a motocross track, the badger population declined noticeably in the late 20th century. Through efforts like the planting of forests and hedgerows aimed at promoting natural values, the badgers returned! But the efforts also benefited other fauna.

At the visitor centre Land van de Heerlijkheden, you can gather information about the delights of the Land of Maas and Waal. After this visit, you will recognise the delicacies on the route and understand how they were created. Besides nature and delicacies, the fortified town of Ravenstein is also mighty fine to cycle through. To visit this North Brabant fortified town, you must first cross the Meuse river. Founded in 1360 around the castle of Walraven of Valkenburg, the town is full of history. Traces of its tumultuous (military) past can be seen everywhere in Ravenstein.

So variety trumps this route through two provinces. But if you want to see much more, just choose some more stops from the list we selected for you. We also found two mills, a castle, a castle ruin and a beautiful work of art in this interesting region. So pick your dismounting tip and hop on your bike!

Note! On this route, you will use the Demen-Batenburg ferry. Always check the sailing times before you set off. If the ferry does not sail, you can shorten the route and cycle straight from node 87 to node 69, or vice versa if you cycle the route in the other direction.