Overbetuwe: Holiday apartment between Roman history and river landscapes

Overbetuwe can be explored from an unusual site: the remains of two Roman temples have been preserved beneath the floor of the Grote Kerk in Elst. The larger of the two Roman temples was dedicated to Hercules Magusanus. Among these archaeological traces, river ferries, dikes, museums and signposted paths, a destination with many different facets unfolds.

Culture and history

The Tempel-Kerkmuseum Elst preserves the Roman remains beneath the Grote Kerk. Guided tours of the preserved temples are offered at set times or by appointment. A very different historical tradition is the paardenmarkt: it takes place every year on the first Monday in September and attracts tens of thousands of visitors annually. Since 2014, the paardenmarkt has been included on the list of intangible cultural heritage.

The more recent history of the Betuwe is also present in several places. The Betuws Oorlogsmuseum “The Island” 1944–1945 traces the history of the Betuwe during the years 1944–1945. Among other things, uniforms of Allied and German soldiers are on display; the museum also records that 16 different nationalities fought in this area.

The information centre “The Poles of Driel” provides insight into the battles fought by the 1st Independent Polish Parachute Brigade during Operation Market Garden. Museumboerderij Den Tip offers an insight into rural life in the Betuwe. Kasteeltuin Hemmen offers a peaceful walk among flowers and plants; admission is free. Roman antiquity, a lively market tradition, the war years, the region’s agricultural past and a garden visit thus stand side by side at different visitor attractions.

Exploring on foot

Several walks open up the landscape with clearly specified routes. Rondje Homoet is a 5.2-kilometre walk on natural paths in Hollanderbroek. Ommetje De Park is more than 3 kilometres long and passes numerous sights in Landerij De Park. De Groene Loper is a 4-kilometre circular route over service roads and along hedges in four food forests in the park.

The “The Poles of Driel” walking route is approximately 6 kilometres long. It passes wartime landing sites and the headquarters of Major General Sosabowski. The walk begins and ends at the information centre “The Poles of Driel”. “Heteren viert vrijheid” is 7 kilometres long and runs along places where Allied aircraft crashed during the Second World War. This route has been incorporated into the hiking trail network and can be followed using orange arrows.

Water and landscape

The Loenensche Buitenpolder has been redeveloped and provides a marshy, grass-rich habitat for the spotted crake and the corn crake. The more than 100-hectare Strandpark Slijk-Ewijk presents a different type of landscape. It was created through sand extraction and is designed for beach and water recreation, including sunbathing, swimming and playing.

Rondje Heteren combines two walks and passes through the uiterwaarden of the Nederrijn near Heteren. The route illustrates earlier approaches to water management through a kolk, a bank-wall development and dikes. It also includes a Slapersdijk, meaning a reserve dike behind a newer, higher dike closer to the river. The Peperbus, a freestanding church tower with walls up to 140 centimetres thick, is also located along this walking route.

The river is not only a landscape feature but is also crossed by ferries operating year-round. The Lexkesveer ferry connects Randwijk and Wageningen across the Nederrijn. The year-round Driel bicycle and pedestrian ferry connects Driel across the Nederrijn with Doorwerth and Oosterbeek.

Routes with fixed starting points

The Limes Route begins and ends at the car park of Landerij De Park, De Park 12, Elst. In Elst, it leads to the Roman road Driel–Elst at Grote Molenstraat 150. The route therefore connects a clearly named starting and ending point with another Roman testimony in the town.

The Betuwse Kunstroute is also divided into sections: it consists of an eastern and a western section and is approximately 56 kilometres long in total. A 27-kilometre Betuwse Kunstroute starts and ends at Landerij De Park, Park 12, 6661 NW Elst.

Rondje Herveld belongs to the landscape and agricultural side of the region. Along this route, fruit products are sold at Museumboerderij “Den Tip” or at other farms along the two routes.

Places to discover next

Other destination pages in the area: Elst, Slijk-Ewijk, Hemmen, Randwijk.

Other destinations: Doesburg, Zevenaar, Aalten, Oldebroek.

For the higher-level travel overview: Gelderland.