Cycle route along the Zuiderwaterlinie near Heusden
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.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Loonsehoek , 5175 PC Loon op Zand | 50.8 KM | |
|
From
41
to
36
|
1377 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head northeast on Loonsehoek | 82 M | ||
| Turn left onto Pelgrimsweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
35
|
2955 M | 3 KM | |
| Head south | 91 M | ||
| Turn left | 2.8 KM | ||
| Keep right at the fork | 25 M | ||
| Continue onto Oude Bosschebaan | 53 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
34
|
2041 M | 2 KM | |
| Head north | 76 M | ||
| Continue straight | 1.9 KM | ||
| Continue onto Giersbergen | 30 M | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
72
|
1137 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head northwest on Giersbergen | 134 M | ||
| Turn right onto Duinweg | 197 M | ||
| Turn left onto Duinweg | 49 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Duinweg | 757 M | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
|
From
72
to
71
|
1361 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head north on Duinweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 71 | 0 M | ||
|
From
71
to
75
|
3603 M | 3.6 KM | |
| Head north | 32 M | ||
| Turn right onto Akkerlaan | 22 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 832 M | ||
| Continue onto De Zeeg | 482 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Meerdijk | 252 M | ||
| Turn left | 812 M | ||
| Continue onto Meerdijk | 36 M | ||
| You are now at section 75 | 0 M | ||
|
From
75
to
93
|
3432 M | 3.4 KM | |
| Head east on Meerdijk | 957 M | ||
| Keep left onto Heidijk | 828 M | ||
| Keep left onto Heidijk | 1.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 93 | 0 M | ||
|
From
93
to
43
|
2097 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head north on Vendreef | 573 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Plein | 38 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Plein | 180 M | ||
| Turn right onto Julianastraat | 556 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Meliestraat | 750 M | ||
| You are now at section 43 | 0 M | ||
|
From
43
to
42
|
2948 M | 2.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Voordijk | 1.6 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Inlaagdijk | 1 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 22 M | ||
| Continue straight | 8 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Inlaagdijk | 135 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oude Haven | 146 M | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
|
From
42
to
41
|
4034 M | 4 KM | |
| Head southwest on Oude Haven | 371 M | ||
| Continue straight | 1.2 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Hoge Maasdijk | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Kerkstraat | 543 M | ||
| Turn left onto Bokhovenseweg | 10 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oude Schoolstraat | 507 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 55 M | ||
| Continue straight | 181 M | ||
| You are now at section 41 | 0 M | ||
|
From
41
to
82
|
1546 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head northwest | 1.4 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 183 M | ||
| You are now at section 82 | 0 M | ||
|
From
82
to
1
|
1587 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head northwest | 1 KM | ||
| Continue onto Mastdijk | 464 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Scheepswerf | 115 M | ||
| You are now at section 01 | 0 M | ||
|
From
1
to
85
|
1871 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Herptsestraat | 77 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Demer | 226 M | ||
| Turn right onto Lombardstraat | 225 M | ||
| Turn right onto Botermarkt | 95 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nieuwstraat | 81 M | ||
| Continue onto Stadshaven | 27 M | ||
| Continue straight | 4 M | ||
| Continue onto Stadshaven | 35 M | ||
| Turn left onto Drietrompetterstraat | 65 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Wijksestraat | 130 M | ||
| Turn left onto Burchtplein | 46 M | ||
| Turn left onto Burchtplein | 47 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hertogin Johanna van Brabantstraat | 374 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Garnizoenstraat | 439 M | ||
| You are now at section 85 | 0 M | ||
|
From
85
to
84
|
1368 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head northwest | 1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Grotestraat | 351 M | ||
| You are now at section 84 | 0 M | ||
|
From
84
to
5
|
4408 M | 4.4 KM | |
| Head northwest | 34 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Grotestraat | 79 M | ||
| Turn right onto Parallelweg | 484 M | ||
| Continue straight | 198 M | ||
| Turn left | 2.4 KM | ||
| Turn left | 33 M | ||
| Turn left onto Provincialeweg | 47 M | ||
| Turn right onto Dorpsstraat | 356 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Dorpsstraat | 138 M | ||
| Continue straight | 622 M | ||
| You are now at section 05 | 0 M | ||
|
From
5
to
87
|
622 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head southeast | 622 M | ||
| You are now at section 87 | 0 M | ||
|
From
87
to
70
|
2154 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head southeast | 538 M | ||
| Keep right at the fork | 69 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Zeedijk | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 70 | 0 M | ||
|
From
70
to
14
|
968 M | 1 KM | |
| Head south on Zeedijk | 629 M | ||
| Keep left onto Zeedijk | 339 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
|
From
14
to
15
|
1032 M | 1 KM | |
| Head northwest on Eindstraat | 34 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 51 M | ||
| Turn left | 260 M | ||
| Continue onto Halve Zolenpad | 687 M | ||
| You are now at section 15 | 0 M | ||
|
From
15
to
21
|
1358 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head south | 1.1 KM | ||
| Keep left at the fork | 263 M | ||
| You are now at section 21 | 0 M | ||
|
From
21
to
20
|
1997 M | 2 KM | |
| Head west | 447 M | ||
| Keep left at the fork | 501 M | ||
| Turn left | 92 M | ||
| Turn left onto Akkerlaan | 118 M | ||
| Turn right | 839 M | ||
| You are now at section 20 | 0 M | ||
|
From
20
to
22
|
1029 M | 1 KM | |
| Head west on Burgemeester Smeelelaan | 96 M | ||
| Turn left onto Wielstraat | 933 M | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
|
From
22
to
32
|
1712 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head southeast | 14 M | ||
| Turn left onto van Haestrechtstraat | 26 M | ||
| Turn right onto Waalwijksebaan | 74 M | ||
| Turn right onto Roestelbergseweg | 9 M | ||
| Turn left onto Waalwijksebaan | 618 M | ||
| Turn left | 9 M | ||
| Turn right onto Waalwijksebaan | 113 M | ||
| Continue straight | 849 M | ||
| You are now at section 32 | 0 M | ||
|
From
32
to
37
|
2589 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head south on Waalwijksebaan | 2 KM | ||
| Make a slight left onto Venloonstraat | 609 M | ||
| You are now at section 37 | 0 M | ||
|
From
37
to
41
|
1579 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head east on Oranjeplein | 66 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kloosterstraat | 1.5 KM | ||
| You are now at section 41 | 0 M |