Lienden to Wageningen - 13-Jul-19

Today I first stopped for a coffee at my nephew in Lienden.

From Lienden the route continued mainly

over river dykes to the ferry across the

river Rhine at  the village of Opheusden.

From the ferry it was between farmlands to the harbor of Wageningen.

From there I crossed the village center to the busstation where I started my travel back home.

From the south (west) to the north (east) of the country this long distance hiking trail is running through a variety of Dutch landscapes.

Walking in the delta of the major rivers Rhine, Maas and Waal in the south with brick factories and fruits growing in the fields. Through the forests and heath fields on the hillsides of the Veluwe to the IJssel river with farmlands and over the ramparts and wooded areas of Overijssel and Drenthe. Many villages as well as some of the historical castles found on the way offer restaurants and accommodation .

Maarten van Rossun (1490-1555) was a warlord for the counts of Gelre and travelled through the country with his army. Memories of him are found in castles, country houses and hunting grounds. There is a statue of him in Steenwijk as a reminder for his defense of the city.

Velp to Laag Soeren - 21-Sep-19

Ten years and seven months after I did my first steps on the Maarten van Rossumpad starting from 's Hertogenbosch I finally completed the last section!

After train and bus to the point in Velp where I stopped last time I walked to the village of Rozendaal and from there over the Posbank.

Well known areas for me.

Lunch at the Posbank

was good and from there

the trail runs through old

forests to Laag Soeren.

The bus to Apeldoorn and

then a train was the best

way home for me.

Wageningen to Heveadorp

27-Jul-19

I picked the trail up at the Rhine harbor to enter the floodplains with

                 an old brick factory now

                 in use by artists.

                 On the Wageningen Berg

                 (mountain) there are nice

                 views of the river from the

Belmonte botanical gardens.

Then the trail follows the streams north of Renkum and Heelsum before visiting Doorweth Castle in the floodplains.

The final track to Heveadorp gives a view of the weir and locks at Driel.

Heveadorp to Velp - 14-Sep-19

This experienced traveler took the wrong bus in Arnhem so made a switch outside Renkum and started my hike late.

Had beautiful last views of the river Rhine outside Heveadorp before descending to the floodplains south of Oosterbeek, follow the raiway track north and Warsnborn.

Sonsbeek city park is a pleasure to walk through with several options for lunch.

I decided to end the day

at a bus stop near the

border of Arnhem -

Geitenkamp almost

under the A12.

Ravenswaaij to Lienden - 8-Jul-19

The last day of a 4 day hiking weekend. It was a small test to myself and I was happy to find out that my health had significantly improved!

Shortly after leaving Ravenswaaij I crossed the Rhine to Waal extension of the Amsterdam - Rhine canal. From then on it was mainly following the southern Rhine dyke. It also gave a view of the locks near Amerongen.

Some of the skies made me think about many paintings of the Dutch 16th century masters.

As I found no restaurant open I had a lunch of energy bars with a view on the Rhine and a nest of storks.

Waddenooijen to Ravenswaaij - 7-Jul-19

Today I am crossing the Betuwe county in a norderly direction from the

river Waal to the river Rhine. Also for some time following the smaller

river Linge.

Buren has city right since 1395 and has close relationship with our

royal family as in 1551 William of Orange married Anna van Buren.

There once was the biggest castle of the Netherlands but now only city

walls remain. The mill is still called William of Orange.

Waardenburg to Waddenooijen

6-Jul-19

From the busstop the route goes over the river Waal dike to the Waardenburg castle and next to Neerijnen castle.

The traffic on the river Waal indicates why this is such an important waterway.

On the floodplains of Heesselt I do get a bit lost between the cows but manage to find the track.

After lunch in Varik there is another nice track on the floodplains of Stift. From there it goes in a norderly direction through the area known for it's fruit growing.

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Rossum to Waardenburg

6-Jul-19

More than 4 years after I walked from Beekbergen to Laag Soeren I decided to walk the missing tracks starting where I finished in 2008: the village of Rossum!

The castle of Maarten is now the townhall.

From there the route goes on the dyke of the river Waal more or less to Zaltbommel where I had lunch. It is a fortified city with ramparts that I visited after lunch.

After crossing the river Waal I reached Waardenburg where I took a bus to travel home and come back again the next day.