Heusden, Waalwijk, Loon op Zand

The Zuiderwaterlinie, the oldest water line in the Netherlands, is an ingenious historical defence system in which water and fortifications come together to protect the country from enemy incursions. During this cycle route, you will discover a special part of this line, where you can not only admire an impressive fortress and an atmospheric fortified town, but also enjoy the surrounding landscape full of vast polders, winding waterways and historical traces of this clever defence strategy.

One of the highlights of this route is fortified town Heusden, which played a crucial role in the Zuiderwaterlinie as a strategic defence point on the river Meuse. Heusden arose in the 12th century around one of the oldest moated castles in the Netherlands and grew into an important part of the line. Surrounded by bastions and moats, the town was part of a chain of fortified towns designed to hold back enemy troops. Its ingenious system of inundation allowed the surrounding land to be flooded, delaying enemies and making Heusden a safe base of operations.

Although Waalwijk was not a fortified town, the area still played a vital role in the Zuiderwaterlinie. It was part of the inundation area used around 1700 to flood large tracts of land, from Heusden to Geertruidenberg. This defence system protected the Netherlands from enemy advances. When you cycle through this area, you experience not only the history, but also the beauty of the watery landscape that still bears the traces of its strategic past today.