From soldier to squire - historic castles route
The Utrechtse Heuvelrug is bursting with beautiful castles, country estates and historical sites. This route combines several picturesque villages with panoramic views, rivers, meadows and forest paths. Along the way, you pass several castles, where you sometimes have to deviate from the junctions to visit the sites. The tour is mostly on paved roads, about 3 km you cycle on hard gravel roads and is therefore also suitable for e-bikes!
Start point and shorten route
The route is 60 km long, but can be shortened (or cycled in two parts) by cycling from node 69 to node 65. The shortened route is then 29.5 km long. You can start the route at node 99 (TOP Fort aan de Buursteeg) or at node 65 (TOP Amerongen).
The route
Cycle from TOP Amerongen first to the Tabaksschuur, this is where the junction signs start. At node 17, you cycle past the impressive AmerongenCastle....
The Utrechtse Heuvelrug is bursting with beautiful castles, country estates and historical sites. This route combines several picturesque villages with panoramic views, rivers, meadows and forest paths. Along the way, you pass several castles, where you sometimes have to deviate from the junctions to visit the sites. The tour is mostly on paved roads, about 3 km you cycle on hard gravel roads and is therefore also suitable for e-bikes!
Start point and shorten route
The route is 60 km long, but can be shortened (or cycled in two parts) by cycling from node 69 to node 65. The shortened route is then 29.5 km long. You can start the route at node 99 (TOP Fort aan de Buursteeg) or at node 65 (TOP Amerongen).
The route
Cycle from TOP Amerongen first to the Tabaksschuur, this is where the junction signs start. At node 17, you cycle past the impressive Amerongen Castle. This castle (and its castle garden) is definitely worth a visit and has a rich family history! The castle was destroyed and rebuilt several times in the early years.
From Amerongen , you cycle along the Lower Rhine with panoramic views, pass the imposing Stuwensemble to cycle under the world's only drive-through windmill in Wijk bij Duurstede.
In Wijk bij Duurstede, you cycle through the centre of the beautiful town with cosy restaurants and terraces. In the early Middle Ages, this was one of the most important trading places in north-western Europe and traces of this can still be seen. From the route, make a side trip to Kasteel Duurstede by following the signs. This castle is one of the oldest castles in the Netherlands and is currently mainly used as an event location.
Next, you cycle through beautiful landscapes and pass the beautiful Landgoed Parc Broekhuizen, where you can not only enjoy lunch and dinner but also stay the night in luxury! Via a nice climb (easily done by e-bike) to Leersum and then Scherpenzeel. In Scherpenzeel, the cycling tour takes you through the historic centre, where you can take a small diversions to have a look at Huis Scherpenzeel or take a stroll through the park.
In Renswoude, cycle past Renswoude Castle a castle with grandeur dating back to 1654! Guided tours are available here by appointment.
At node 58, you can discover the importance of the Grebbelinie at Fort aan de Buursteeg with its visitor centre. It is one of the Grebbelinie's largest and most important defences. At Restaurant Grebbelounge, the inner man will have a good time.
You end the tour back in Amerongen.
E-bike
Biking this route with an e-bike? You will find several charging points along the way. For the complete overview, visit: https://www.fietsoplaadpunten.nl/
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Description
The route follows the nodes on the white-green signs of the cycle route network. A convenient place to start the route is at Burgwal 6, Amerongen.
- 65
- 17
- 15
- 14
- 13
- 95
- 27
- 9
- 21
- 10
- 11
- 63
- 18
- 69
- 68
- 67
- 82
- 83
- 22
- 57
- 73
- 74
- 80
- 79
- 86
- 36
- 37
- 21
- 94
- 48
- 46
- 44
- 43
- 43
- 42