North Betuwe Terrace Route
Rhenen, Amerongen, Kesteren
This beautiful cycle route runs through two of the most beautiful regions of our country and has something breathtaking in every season. On the one hand, the Betuwe with its vast orchards. In spring, it guarantees spectacular blossom. In summer, an abundance of fruit at the stalls and farm shops. On the other side of the Waal, the Utrechtse Heuvelrug with its picturesque towns, castles, nature reserves and tobacco history. And in every town or village, a nice terrace to soak up all the beauty while enjoying some goodies. The route starts in Kesteren in the north of the Betuwe. You can park your car perfectly well at Brasserie Beerie, but this aside. The Betuwe is known for growing fruit in orchards. The Betuwe is thought to owe its name to this. It would mean something like "good, profitable soil". But the name could also be derived from the Batavians who lived there. The fact is that the Betuwe consists of an alternation of old stream channels, levees and bowl grounds. This makes the area, with beautiful views, not only a pleasure to cycle through but especially the sandy material of the river ridges is very suitable soil for agriculture. The Lower Rhine forms the northern border of the Betuwe; you cross it with the Lienden-Rhenen foot ferry. See the disembarkation point for sailing times. If the ferry does not sail, cycle from node 13, towards nodes 52 and 36 to return to the route. (Or vice versa if you cycle the route the other way round.) Once you have crossed the Lower Rhine, you cycle into the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. Starting with cosy Rhenen, which was granted city rights as early as 1258. At the Stadsmuseum Rhenen, you can immerse yourself in the history of this town partly located on the Grebbeberg, famous for the Battle of the Grebbeberg in 1940. Between Rhenen and Amerongen, you end up in a very different history. That of the tobacco industry. In the seventeenth century, tobacco growing began to flourish in this area. For the first time, hothouses were used to grow young plants. This was later adopted throughout Europe as the "Dutch method". By the eighteenth century, native tobacco had become an important trade product. Especially between Rhenen and Amerongen were many tobacco farms, such as the Willem III plantation of the cigar manufacturer of the same name. Today a rolling nature reserve with snowmelt water valleys from the last ice age, konik horses and galloway cattle. In Amerongen, you can find out much more about tobacco cultivation at the Tobacco Cultivation Museum. You also cycle there past several old tobacco barns; long barns with lots of shutters and trellises. Tobacco leaves were once dried there, strung on bars. Picturesque Amerongen is also known for Amerongen Castle, among the village's cosy streets. If you haven't had enough of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug yet, you can extend the route and cycle over the dyke to Wijk bij Duurstede, which also has a beautiful old castle and a cosy centre full of terraces. You'll then cycle some nineteen kilometres extra. To do so, follow junctions 15-37-73-74-76 from junction 17 and return to the route. The ferry to Eck en Wiel brings you back to the Betuwe, where you can stock up on some delicious Betuwe fruit in Lienden. Or you can get a taste of Betuwe history at the Streekmuseum Baron van Brakell in Ommeren.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Rijnbandijk , 4041 BP Neder-Betuwe | 40.6 KM | |
|
From
90
to
9
|
5666 M | 5.7 KM | |
| Head north on Rijnbandijk | 1.6 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Rijndijk | 1.6 KM | ||
| Keep right onto Rijnbandijk | 1.6 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Rijndijk | 268 M | ||
| Keep right onto Rijndijk | 490 M | ||
| You are now at section 09 | 0 M | ||
|
From
9
to
13
|
2917 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head east on Marsdijk | 2.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 13 | 0 M | ||
|
From
13
to
36
|
867 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head north | 142 M | ||
| Take the ferry Rhenen-Lienden | 157 M | ||
| Continue slight right onto Veerplein | 339 M | ||
| Turn left onto Utrechtsestraatweg (N225) | 229 M | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
37
|
1251 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head north | 24 M | ||
| Turn left | 17 M | ||
| Turn left | 23 M | ||
| Turn right onto Utrechtsestraatweg | 328 M | ||
| Continue straight | 859 M | ||
| You are now at section 37 | 0 M | ||
|
From
37
to
40
|
4091 M | 4.1 KM | |
| Head northeast on Stokweg | 254 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Stokweg | 194 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Stokweg | 789 M | ||
| Continue onto Defensieweg | 2.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 40 | 0 M | ||
|
From
40
to
41
|
1739 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head northwest on Defensieweg | 9 M | ||
| Continue straight | 12 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Franseweg | 258 M | ||
| You are now at section 41 | 0 M | ||
|
From
41
to
42
|
2635 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head northeast on Driftweg | 534 M | ||
| Turn left | 5 M | ||
| Continue onto Bosweg | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
|
From
42
to
65
|
1462 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head southwest on Let de Stigterpad; Veenseweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 65 | 0 M | ||
|
From
65
to
17
|
1500 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head southwest on Veenseweg | 306 M | ||
| Turn right onto Rijksstraatweg | 352 M | ||
| Turn left | 19 M | ||
| Turn left onto Koningin Wilhelminaweg; Kon Wilhelminaweg | 8 M | ||
| Turn right onto Burgemeester van den Boschstraat | 18 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Burgemeester van den Boschstraat | 190 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Nederstraat | 234 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Drostestraat | 373 M | ||
| You are now at section 17 | 0 M | ||
|
From
17
to
76
|
1870 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head south on Rijnsteeg | 1.5 KM | ||
| Take the ferry Eck en Wiel-Amerongen | 154 M | ||
| Continue straight onto Veerweg | 263 M | ||
| You are now at section 76 | 0 M | ||
|
From
76
to
77
|
2643 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head east on Rijnbandijk | 67 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Rijnbandijk | 2.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 77 | 0 M | ||
|
From
77
to
78
|
1998 M | 2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Rijnbandijk | 20 M | ||
| Turn right onto Rijnstraat | 2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 78 | 0 M | ||
|
From
78
to
7
|
2285 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head southeast on Dorpsstraat | 24 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Weverstraat | 206 M | ||
| Turn left onto Culekampseweg | 573 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kerkstraat | 183 M | ||
| Turn left onto Molenstraat | 857 M | ||
| Turn right onto Lienderveldsestraat | 398 M | ||
| Turn left onto Dokter Guepinlaan | 44 M | ||
| You are now at section 07 | 0 M | ||
|
From
7
to
6
|
253 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Hogestraat | 253 M | ||
| You are now at section 06 | 0 M | ||
|
From
6
to
3
|
2274 M | 2.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Hogestraat | 15 M | ||
| Turn left | 287 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zijveling | 2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 03 | 0 M | ||
|
From
3
to
5
|
1157 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Bloembosweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 7 M | ||
| You are now at section 05 | 0 M | ||
|
From
5
to
90
|
5990 M | 6 KM | |
| Head northeast | 751 M | ||
| Turn right onto Panderweg | 2.3 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Zilverlandseweg | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Schaapsteeg | 620 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nedereindsestraat | 678 M | ||
| You are now at section 90 | 0 M |