Linge

Details

Category: Gelderland - places to visit

The Linge is a river in the Betuwe that is 99.8 km long, which makes it one of the longest rivers that flow entirely within the Netherlands.

It starts near the village Doornenburg near the German border. A legend tells us that if there will be no more pigs grazing at the castle of Doornenburg, the river will dry out. The Linge flows to Zoelen, a small village north of Tiel and from there on meanders through the Betuwe, to end in the Boven Merwede near Gorinchem. Until Geldermalsen the river is little more than a small, canalised stream. From Geldermalsen on however, it begins to look like a real river complete with dikes and small floodplains. The Linge provides idyllic spots at old towns like Asperen and Leerdam as both have the city walls still in shape at the side of the river. The river was once a branch of the river Waal, being cut off at Tiel in 1307 or thereabouts (some traces of this can still be seen). The river is navigable for small vessels and is a popular destination for boaters. The banks of the river are important breeding grounds for waterfowl.

This river used to be an important trade route in old days. This role has nowadays been taken by the Rhine and Waal rivers.

Railroad bridges (with nearest train station on the left and right bank):

    between Elst and Arnhem
    between Opheusden and Kesteren
    between Kesteren and Tiel
    between Geldermalsen and Culemborg/Beesd

The river crosses seven motorways:

    Four times the A15 (Rotterdam-Nijmegen)
    Once the A2 (Utrecht-Eindhoven)
    Once the A50 (Arnhem-Eindhoven)
    Once the A325 (Arnhem-Nijmegen)

The riverbanks in the Betuwe are lined with apple orchards, which make it popular with tourists, particularly in spring; the fruit trees are in blossom. In April, a walking tour is organised in support of the Red Cross, the so called 'Rode Kruis Bloesemtocht'.