Land of Maas and Waal & Maasland

The route starts from the parking lot that gives access to the former Fort Blauwe Sluis (the parking is located behind restaurant de Blauwe Sluis), near the village of Gewande. You cycle the route clockwise and that means that you first follow the Maas. But you can also start at any place along the route (for example Ravenstein is an option, located near the A50). Via the Hedelse Brug you cross the Maas and you arrive in the province of Gelderland. Now you follow the Maas again to Kerkdriel. From Kerkdriel you leave the Maas and go through the polders to Hurwenen. Now you come to the Waaldijk. Follow the non-mandatory cycle path here, which is slightly higher than the dike road, to preserve the views of the river country. You pass the town of Rossum with beautiful views of the Waal. You cross the Sint-Andries canal and you follow your path over the Waaldijk. Waal and Maas are close to each other. At the three-dike point, leave the Waaldijk and cross to the Maas. For about 13 km you cycle over the Maasdijk. In Maasbommel, the route is partly around the Gouden Ham recreation area, on a mandatory cycle path.

Near Appeltern at the former steam pumping station de Tuut, you come back to the Maasdijk. You then cycle to Batenburg, a picturesque town with beautiful farms and ruins of a former castle. You continue your way through the Liendensche Waard. Then you cross the Maas via the viaduct of the A50 motorway (with a wide cycle path) and you come back to the province of North Brabant, in the region called Maasland. Then you pass Ravenstein, a town with a historic core that is worth a visit. And then it is again enjoying winding dike roads along the Meuse. Between Ravenstein and Dieden there is a non-compulsory cycle path along the dike road. Take the dike road here and not the cycle path because the cycle path is narrow. Also enjoy the mill and the church of Dieden that seem to be glued to the dike. The route goes off the Meuse through the floodplains towards Megen.

At the picturesque Megen, a village with a historic village center, you come back on the Maasdijk to Lithoijen. Between Lithoijen and Lith there is no possibility to cycle over the dike, at Lith you come back to the Maasdijk. And you follow them to Maren. After Maren it is about 2 km inside the dike cycling to Het Wild, from there you cycle again on the Maasdijk to the end point.

The route can be shortened by taking a ferry. Via ferry Alphen - Lith the route becomes 55 km shorter, via ferry Alphen - Oijen the route becomes 42 km shorter and via ferry Maasbommel - Megen the route becomes 31 km shorter. Springs may be out of service (e.g. due to maintenance).