Along the old and new arms of the Vecht
Hardenberg, Bergentheim, Marienberg
‘Not wide, not grand, but matchless,’ Dalfsen native Koos Geerds wrote about his beloved Vecht. And that's the nail in the coffin, because as soon as this little rainwater river meanders across the German border into our country, it shows itself in all its splendour. Nature takes and gives, stretches of bank disappear and river sand is deposited again after high tide. A dynamic river it is. Until the beginning of the last century, the Vecht meandered a lot and had many more bends and kilometres as a result. And then man intervened. The rainwater river was straightened, shortening its length by 25 kilometres. Bends in the river became dead Vecht arms and weirs were constructed to ensure that the river did not empty. This also killed shipping from Hardenberg. In summer, a sloop or yacht sometimes sails, but it used to be different. Until well into the 19th century, the Vecht played an important role in shipping. All the bricks from The Palace on Dam Square passed here, is a common saying here. But that transport was trouble in summer time. The river had an irregular draught, which meant water levels could be extremely low during that period and shipping was sometimes at a standstill for weeks at a time. Dams were also raised in the river by the boatmen. As soon as enough water was collected, they would cross the dam and could sail a little further until the bottom was reached again. Since 1998, eyes have been opened among administrators. During prolonged rainfall, the river was bursting its banks and Vechtdal residents had wet feet. Under the banner ‘Room for the Vecht’, they set to work and are still busy connecting old but also new Vecht arms to the river. This will create more storage capacity in case of extreme rainfall in the Netherlands and Germany. As a result, some more kilometres are being secretly added, but the crews of pleasure yachts need not fear a long trip like in the past. The 25 kilometres of loops and bends will not return. And holidaymakers on the boat are totally zen, because ‘in the Vechtdal you have all the time.’ This Premium cycle route was put together by our editor: Max de Krijger.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Grote Beltenweg , 7771 SX Hardenberg | 42.1 KM | |
|
From
61
to
62
|
824 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head south on Rheezerweg | 549 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Rheezerweg | 7 M | ||
| Continue onto Veldbrakenweg | 268 M | ||
| You are now at section 62 | 0 M | ||
|
From
62
to
63
|
1435 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head south on Huijsteeg | 1.1 KM | ||
| Continue right onto Rheezerbrink | 343 M | ||
| You are now at section 63 | 0 M | ||
|
From
63
to
64
|
827 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head south on Rheezerbrink | 151 M | ||
| Turn left onto Marsweg | 676 M | ||
| You are now at section 64 | 0 M | ||
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From
64
to
58
|
2037 M | 2 KM | |
| Head southwest on Marsweg | 921 M | ||
| Turn left onto Schalmmaatdijk | 25 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Schalmmaatdijk | 1 KM | ||
| Make a slight right | 19 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Rheezerweg | 26 M | ||
| You are now at section 58 | 0 M | ||
|
From
58
to
57
|
1309 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Rheezerweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
|
From
57
to
56
|
2803 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head southwest on Grote Esweg | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Onderveldsweg | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 56 | 0 M | ||
|
From
56
to
50
|
2674 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head west on Landsweg | 894 M | ||
| Continue onto Watersteeg | 1.8 KM | ||
| You are now at section 50 | 0 M | ||
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From
50
to
54
|
517 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head north on Stegerdijk | 517 M | ||
| You are now at section 54 | 0 M | ||
|
From
54
to
53
|
1994 M | 2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Stegerdijk | 101 M | ||
| Turn left onto Junnerweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right to stay on Junnerweg | 264 M | ||
| You are now at section 53 | 0 M | ||
|
From
53
to
69
|
3921 M | 3.9 KM | |
| Head east on Nieuwe Hammerweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 9 M | ||
| Turn left onto Beerzerweg | 2.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
|
From
69
to
55
|
624 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head east on Beerzerweg | 624 M | ||
| You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
|
From
55
to
67
|
5045 M | 5 KM | |
| Head northeast on Beerzerweg | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Zwarteweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Beerzerhaar | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Kloosterdijk | 566 M | ||
| You are now at section 67 | 0 M | ||
|
From
67
to
66
|
1469 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head northwest on Nieuweweg | 501 M | ||
| Turn left onto Beerzerweg | 38 M | ||
| Turn right | 23 M | ||
| Turn right | 6 M | ||
| Turn left onto Stuwdijk | 901 M | ||
| You are now at section 66 | 0 M | ||
|
From
66
to
65
|
3285 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head northeast | 7 M | ||
| Continue onto Rheezerweg | 12 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Wiechminkpad | 604 M | ||
| Turn right onto Brinkweg | 515 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Brinkweg | 872 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Brinkweg | 719 M | ||
| Turn left onto Mölinksweg | 556 M | ||
| You are now at section 65 | 0 M | ||
|
From
65
to
45
|
2568 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head east on Haarweg | 34 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dennenweg | 664 M | ||
| Turn right onto Slotweg | 215 M | ||
| Turn left onto Schapenweg | 289 M | ||
| Turn left onto Spoordijk | 290 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nieuwe Slotweg | 134 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 131 M | ||
| Continue onto De Jongstraat | 54 M | ||
| Turn right onto Van der Sluisstraat | 43 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Van der Sluisstraat | 43 M | ||
| Turn left onto Baron Mackaystraat | 214 M | ||
| Turn right onto Thorbeckestraat | 13 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kuyperstraat | 118 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kerkweg | 176 M | ||
| Turn left onto Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorpstraat | 150 M | ||
| You are now at section 45 | 0 M | ||
|
From
45
to
46
|
5683 M | 5.7 KM | |
| Head northwest on Dr. H.J. Postlaan | 365 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dr. H.J. Postlaan | 7 M | ||
| Turn left towards Mariënberg | 631 M | ||
| Turn right onto Haarweg | 184 M | ||
| Turn left onto Prügelweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Veenlandweg | 933 M | ||
| Turn left onto Maatdijk | 518 M | ||
| Turn right onto Markeweg | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Hardenbergerweg | 206 M | ||
| You are now at section 46 | 0 M | ||
|
From
46
to
32
|
1582 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head north on Bruchterweg | 971 M | ||
| Turn left onto Vechtstraat | 264 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kalseboompad | 347 M | ||
| You are now at section 32 | 0 M | ||
|
From
32
to
33
|
919 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head north on Kalseboompad | 8 M | ||
| Keep left onto Kalseboompad | 653 M | ||
| Turn right onto Molenplein | 258 M | ||
| You are now at section 33 | 0 M | ||
|
From
33
to
61
|
2625 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head west on De Brink | 610 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Scholtensdijk | 357 M | ||
| Turn left onto Scholtensdijk | 230 M | ||
| Turn right onto Brandweg | 39 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Brandweg | 61 M | ||
| Turn left onto Weidebuurt | 132 M | ||
| Turn right onto Frits de Zwerverlaan | 64 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Frits de Zwerverlaan | 100 M | ||
| Continue straight | 16 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 18 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 15 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Rheezerweg | 179 M | ||
| Continue onto Oude Rheezerweg | 796 M | ||
| Continue straight | 8 M | ||
| You are now at section 61 | 0 M |