The best cycling routes around Neerijnen

Beautiful route, especially in mid-April during the apple blossom.

Beautiful route, especially in mid-April during the apple blossom.

The Appeldijk between Tricht and Mariënwaerdt is – especially during the blooming season – one of the most beautiful places in the municipality of Geldermalsen. For kilometers, the dike winds its way between rows of Goudreinet apple trees. Especially in April, people come from far and wide to the Betuwe to walk or cycle along this magnificent dike. Pedestrians and cyclists have ample space, as the dike is closed to cars. This sometimes causes so many people that real bicycle traffic jams arise. Along the beautiful river Linge, you walk towards an iconic spot in the Betuwe, the Appeldijk. For those who love blossoms and walking, this kilometer-long winding dike is a feast during the blooming months! It is largely closed to cars and motorcycles. Plenty of space to enjoy the many apple trees along the route. At the end, you have the choice to continue via the road or a forest path. If we may give you a tip: the forest path is wonderful. Both lead to the Heerlijkheid Mariënwaerdt estate. If you need a break, you can visit the farm shop here or find a spot on the terrace among the blossoming trees. Source: https://www.wandel.nl/routes/wandelroute-door-de-betuwe-de-bloesemroute/#Appeldijk

Motorway bridge over the Waal with a cycle path, not pretty, but practical.

You can tap your own delicious soft ice cream here.

Very friendly service. Sharing a salad was no problem, and we were politely given an extra plate and a small bowl of dressing.

The general mobilization proved to be a huge disruption to the daily lives of almost all Dutch citizens. This was true for the men who were called up, of course, but also for the families they had to leave behind indefinitely, and for companies and organizations whose employees suddenly disappeared. In places where soldiers were stationed and occupied their posts, they unexpectedly encountered many new residents. Soldiers were housed in forts, barracks, and also in all sorts of requisitioned buildings, such as the stock exchange building in Geldermalsen, or were billeted in private homes. Besides the mobilization, the inundation also had a significant impact. At the end of 1939, the Dutch army had already flooded farmland near Geldermalsen as part of its national defense. Areas of land near the Betuwe Line were also flooded. Owners and tenants suffered significant damage as a result of this measure. The Dutch defense was focused on an attack from Germany, overland, towards the administrative and economic heart of the country, with its major cities of The Hague, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. The old tactic of inundating or flooding land still played a major role in the defense plan. The intention was to flood entire areas between the major rivers. Flooding proved to be a risky tactic: at low river levels, such as in the summer of 1940, there was little to flood.

The resistance in the Gelderse Waarden and Betuwe regions was multifaceted. Three organizations emerged during the war, each part of a national network: the Order Service (OD), the National Organization for Assistance to Hiders (LO) with its resistance groups (KP), and the Resistance Council (RVV). The clandestine nature of the resistance's activities is, of course, the reason why very little visual material is available. However, immediately after the liberation, members of various resistance groups had their photographs taken as a reminder of times of tension and solidarity. Members of the Order Service (OD) in Geldermalsen. The regional commander of the OD in the Tielerwaard and Nederbetuwe regions was Jaap van Thiel de Vries, director of the brickworks in Heesselt.