New Dutch Waterline
In the middle of the landscape, they suddenly pop up in front of you: the forts of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie.
Together with dykes, locks, canals and bunkers, they form an ingenious system that had to protect our country from enemy forces in wartime. It is the largest defence work in the Netherlands, but is hidden in the landscape. That is why the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie is sometimes called the Netherlands' greatest secret. It is there, but you (almost) don't see it!
The Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie is a defence line 85 kilometres long. The line runs from Muiden to the Biesbosch and is 3 to 5 kilometres wide. It consists of 45 forts, 6 fortresses, 2 castles, 85 machine-gun casemates, over 700 concrete shelters and casemates and over 100 military locks and waterworks.
The Netherlands is famous for ...
In the middle of the landscape, they suddenly pop up in front of you: the forts of the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie.
Together with dykes, locks, canals and bunkers, they form an ingenious system that had to protect our country from enemy forces in wartime. It is the largest defence work in the Netherlands, but is hidden in the landscape. That is why the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie is sometimes called the Netherlands' greatest secret. It is there, but you (almost) don't see it!
The Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie is a defence line 85 kilometres long. The line runs from Muiden to the Biesbosch and is 3 to 5 kilometres wide. It consists of 45 forts, 6 fortresses, 2 castles, 85 machine-gun casemates, over 700 concrete shelters and casemates and over 100 military locks and waterworks.
The Netherlands is famous for its centuries-long battle against water. Less well known is that water was also an ally. Between 1815 and 1940, the Waterlinie made the west of the Netherlands inaccessible to the enemy. In times of war, land was deliberately flooded. This way, the enemy from the east could be stopped. A layer of water of about 50 cm was sufficient. Too deep for soldiers, horses and vehicles to pass through, and too shallow for boats to sail across.
Waterline route
The Waterlinieroute runs from Abcoude, a town just below Amsterdam, to Gorinchem and lets you cycle through characteristic military landscape and passes impressive forts. The beautiful green area full of forts, locks, dykes, canals, bunkers, idyllic vistas and Burgundian restaurants is perfect for a multi-day cycling holiday. Simply follow the cycle junctions and you won't miss a thing. You can choose a day trip or a multi-day trip so that you cycle the entire 373-kilometre route in one go.