Appeltern, Alphen, Megen

You can park your car at TOP Moeke Mooren and start the route at junction 28. This TOP lies on the edge of a beautiful nature reserve: De Gouden Ham or the Moringerwaarden, which you will see more of later on during this route. First you cycle along the water sports and recreation area towards Maasbommel. Maasbommel, which received city rights in 1312, used to be a Hanseatic city. Or rather one of the four annex cities of Hanseatic city Nijmegen. Due to its favourable location in the curve of the river Maas, Maasbommel was able to prosper at that time and even had its own currency. Unfortunately, nothing has been preserved in the Gelderland town that recalls those days.

Along the beautiful and well-maintained floodplains, you cycle towards Nieuwe Schans. A little way off the route, at Nieuwe Schans 5, you will find the ruins of an old steam pumping station there; the Rijksgemaal and Rijkse Sluis, which were built in 1914, but have since been replaced by an electric pumping station. Following the Meuse, you continue your route towards Alphen. In this town, you cycle right past the standerd mill from 1798 with the intriguing name "Molen tot Voordeel en Genoegen". Two millers are still active in this mill and when it is running, you can visit it.

To continue your route, cross the river Maas at Alphen to Lith by the ferry of Stichting de Maasveren. This Brabant village, once part of the diocese of Liège, had been Catholic for centuries, until it became a forbidden religion in 1671. Lith residents had to make do with a hidden church for those years. After the French era, the village got its Catholic church back, but by now it was too small. In 1900, the Sint-Lambertus church was completed, which we selected as a Pit stop on this route.

The next village is Lithoijen, it lies on a tributary of the Meuse and has a large marina. In an old dike house on Batterijstraat, you can take a look at The Atelier Shop and the studio of Till Willems and Wanda Janota. A moment of reflection and wonder on your cycle route, before you continue cycling along the marina.

After leaving the hustle and bustle of the water sports area behind, you can enjoy the beautiful Hemelrijkse Waard. Nature is still developing in this area, but many different plant and animal species have already discovered and embraced it. It is now the habitat of water mint, willowherb, hare, badger, beaver and roe deer. In the Meuse itself, a tree reef has been created, from removed trees, providing a beautiful underwater world of plants, crustaceans and fish.

Via Macharen, you cycle towards the pretty fortified town of Megen. Here you will visit Megen's entrance gate and dismount for a while to wander through the surprising streets of the picturesque fortified town. Taking the ferry from Megen to Appeltern, you cross the Meuse again. Here you cycle into De Gouden Ham, or Megense Ham. In these floodplains lives a herd of Brandrode cattle that keeps the meadows from becoming overgrown with bushes, but you might also spot the kingfisher and the beaver here.

If you've cycled and discovered enough today, you can cycle here from junction 89 to junction 49 towards the end of the route. You will then have cycled over 32 kilometres. But if you can handle another ten kilometres, cycle along to Appeltern, past the famous flower park, the historic steam pumping station and through the agricultural countryside.