Hiking

We have listed a number of walks through the floodplains.

All walks start at Bommelgaard in front of the door.

You can 'walk' these walks, but you can also do them by bike. Keep in mind, however, that you will have to walk some parts with your hand on your bike. The routes do not take you over asphalted roads, but through the grass, through the sand, through fences and occasionally over a piece of asphalt.

The walks stand on their own, but there are also connections to be made between the walks. If you feel like it and if you have time, you can combine the walks perfectly. By the way, you won't get lost that quickly.

Attention: at ‘high water’ the surroundings look substantially different! In that case, the walks below are not or hardly feasible. In that case, ask us for an alternative.

We have given you an indication of the time you need, but how long you take is entirely up to you!

There are no places to eat or drink along the way, with the exception of walk 1: on the 'corner' of the Waaldijk is eatery De Roskam, where you can eat and/or drink something.

We'll start with a short walk, which you shouldn't skip. The other walks are a bit longer, but really good to do, even if you're not in top condition...

By the way, a paper print of these walks (in Dutch) can be found in the white letterbox on the table downstairs. So if you can't read Dutch, you should use our website through internet on your cell phone.

Have fun!

Walk 1: the ‘mandatory’ walk

This hike leads you through a nice part of the floodplains to the river Waal and back. Along the way there are several opportunities to take a break on a beach or wherever you like.

Depending on your pace, your breaks and your choices you will be away for at least three quarters of an hour on this hike.

• Walk up and turn left at the mailboxes.
• Go past Bommelgaard and walk past our neighbours diagonally straight onto the cycle path, watch out for cyclists...
• Follow the road for about 300 metres and then turn right into the path that goes downhill. Keep following this path, you are now in the middle of nature reserve 'the Hurnsche Kil', to the left and right is water.
• At the end of this road you have a choice. What happens if you turn left, we'll describe in 'walk 3'. In this walk we go right, up the dirt road.
• You walk under the trees for a short while with the water on your right hand. After about 350 metres the trees turn left into a field of maize, keep following the road.
• After another 300 metres or so, the road ends and you have a number of choices.
• Either you go left through the gate and walk over the bridge in the direction of the Waal. You see the Waal everywhere you look.
• If you cross the bridge and walk through the grass towards the trees on the bank, you will find a lovely little beach. When the weather is nice, there are usually a few people sitting there.
• You can also cross the bridge and walk straight on to the bank of the river Waal. There is also some sand there if the water is not too high.
• If you really have a lot of energy left, you can also turn left over the bridge onto the peninsula. That's a hike on its own and it is described as 'walk 4'.
• Back to the point where you had the fence on your left. You can also go through the gate and turn left before the bridge. This becomes a new walk and we describe it in 'walk 2'.
• Back to the fence, which is on your left. You can also go through the gate and walk to the right with the water on your left.
• After 150 metres you can keep left (along the bank) or right (between the trees). Either way you come out in a field where you can see the chimney of the former brickworks. The chimney annually acts as one of the hosts for the many storks that breed in our area. Another favourite spot is the high-voltage pylon a little further towards Rossum.
• If you cross the field and go through the gate, you are at the 'corner' of the Waaldijk.
• There you can walk across the dyke in the direction of Rossum. You can also walk at the bottom of the dyke on a path through the grass.
• You can also turn right after the fence (of the field with the chimney) and walk back over the Waaldijk to Bommelgaard. This is a little less than 600 meters further on your left hand. Attention: if you start on the bicycle path, walk after 150 meters to the left.
• Back again to the first gate where you had a choice. You can also turn right there and walk along the sandy path in the direction of the dyke.
• On top of the cycle path you can choose again. Either you go right over the cycle path and then you walk behind our 'opposite neighbours' until you reach the road again where you turn left to Bommelgaard, which is 50 metres further on your right-hand side.
• The other choice on top of the dyke near the bicycle path is that you walk straight on over the 'private road' that is accessible to you. You then come out on the road and you turn right back to Bommelgaard. This is a little less than 300 metres further on your left.
• Welcome back to Bommelgaard!

Walk 2: over the summer dyke

This walk will first take you to the river Waal and then over the summer dyke along the side channel to the Kil van Hurwenen and from there back to Bommelgaard.

Depending on your pace, your breaks and your choices, this walk will take you at least an hour.

• Walk uphill and turn right at the mailboxes onto the dyke.
• You walk along the road for about 250 metres until you can turn left. This is a 'private road' that is open to you, so turn left here.
• Walk straight on, cross the bicycle path (watch out for cyclists!) and walk down the sandy path.
• At the end of the path is a gate, go through the gate and turn left before the bridge over the side channel.
• If all goes well, the side channel is now on your right.
• You are now on the summer dyke. If you walk all the way through, you will come to the Kil van Hurwenen.
• You can choose to continue the walk at the Kil van Hurwenen. At the Kil this walk connects with 'walk 3', so see there for further directions.
• You can also choose to follow the same way back on this hike, and that's not so bad, as you'll see quite different things on the way back than on the way out. If you follow the same way back, then you turn right at the bridge over the side channel to the fence, straight on through the fence to the dyke, over the 'private road', at the end turn right onto the road until you are back after a little less than 300 metres.
• Welcome back to Bommelgaard!

Walk 3: to the Kil of Hurwenen

This walk takes you to the Kil van Hurwenen and back. There are several opportunities to take a break on a beach or wherever you like.

Depending on your pace, your breaks and your choices, you will be out for at least 1.5 hours.

• Walk up and turn left at the mailboxes.
• Go past Bommelgaard and walk past our neighbours diagonally straight onto the cycle path, watch out for cyclists...
• Follow the road for about 300 metres and then turn right into the path that goes downhill. Keep following this path, you are now in the middle of nature reserve 'the Hurnsche Kil', to the left and right is water.
• At the end of this road you have a choice. What happens if you turn right, we described in 'walk 1'. In this walk we go left, up the dirt road.
• Walk to the T-junction and turn right there.
• Walk down the road until you come to a gate in front of you and see the water in front of you on the left.
• Here you have a choice: go through the gate or turn left along the other gate and continue down the road.
• First we tell you what happens if you go through the gate. You then walk to the water of the Kil van Hurwenen and you could sit here for a while in the sand or on the grass.
• You can also turn right and walk along the side channel over the summer dyke in the direction of the bridge from 'walk 1'.
• Back to the gate where you had a choice. If you turn left past the other fence and continue down the road, you come to another fence on the right after 200 metres. Actually, it is more of a passage than a fence.
• Go through it and you have another choice. If you go straight on you come at the water of the Kil van Hurwenen and to your left there are several little beaches. You can either go along the shore or go left across the summer dyke.
• The other choice is to go immediately after the passage left over the summer dyke.
• On your right you can see the water of the 'Kil van Hurwenen' through the trees and you could occasionally go down to the right to sit on a beach by the water.
• You can also keep going and after about 300 metres you see other water on your left.
• Immediately on the left of the water you can also see a beach where you can take a break.
• You can also turn left and keep the water on your right hand. What happens then we tell you in 'walk 5'.
• In this walk we turn around and walk back over the summer dyke to the passage that brings us back on the dirt road.
• Turn left onto the dirt road and keep following the road until the T-junction.
• There you can choose to go back the same way. In that case you turn left and after the first water you turn right and follow the path between the small waters until you reach the Waaldijk again. There you turn left and walk towards Bommelgaard.
• At the T-junction you can also walk straight on, then you stay on the road and walk in the direction of the Waaldijk.
• At the dyke, turn left upwards and walk over the bicycle path back to Bommelgaard. Beware of cyclists...
• Welcome back to Bommelgaard!

Walk 4: across the peninsula

This walk takes you across a peninsula in the river Waal, where it is very quiet and where you can choose a beach to lie down on, either on the Waal itself or on the side of the river Kil van Hurwenen.

The route is not without obstacles, as the grazing cattle make all kinds of fences that you can and may cross. Sometimes there is a fence that you have to open and close, sometimes there are steps that lead you over a fence, sometimes there is very nasty barbed wire that you have to crawl under and there is even electric fencing that you can defy by very carefully using the rubber handles to loosen it so that you can pass. Don't let this put you off, though, because it really is beautiful here!

Depending on your pace, your breaks and your choices, you will spend at least 2 hours on this walk.

• Walk uphill and turn right at the mailboxes onto the dyke.
• You walk along the road for about 250 metres until you can turn left. This is a 'private road' that is open to you, so turn left here.
• Walk straight on, cross the bicycle path (watch out for cyclists!) and walk down the sandy path.
• At the end of the path is a gate, go through the gate and walk over the bridge across the side channel and then turn left.
• If all goes well, the side channel is now on your left.
• You are now on the peninsula, at the end of which you can do only one thing: turn around and walk back to where you are now.
• It is therefore advisable to choose a different side of the peninsula on both outward and return trips. For example, on your way out, walk along the side of the Waal from one beach to the other until you reach the end. On the way back you take the other side, that is the side of the Kil van Hurwenen and the side channel. There are also beaches where you can take a break.
• At the end of the peninsula you have the Kil van Hurwenen on your left and the Waal on your right. Here you have to turn around again, so the advice is to go back along the other side of the peninsula.
• When you get to the bridge over the side channel, go over the bridge to the gate, through the gate straight to the dyke, over the 'private road', at the end turn right onto the road until you are back after a little less than 300 metres.
• Welcome back to Bommelgaard!

Walk 5: To the 'Zandgat'

This walk takes you to the so-called 'Zandgat', which is the largest of the three inland lakes in the 'Hurnsche Kil' nature reserve. Here too, there are plenty of opportunities to take a break on a beach or wherever you like.

Depending on your pace, your breaks and your choices, you will spend at least 2 hours on this walk.

• Walk up and turn left at the mailboxes.
• Go past Bommelgaard and walk past our neighbours diagonally straight onto the cycle path, watch out for cyclists...
• Follow the road for about 300 metres and then turn right into the path that goes downhill. Keep following this path, you are now in the middle of nature reserve 'the Hurnsche Kil', to the left and right is water.
• At the end of this road you have a choice. What happens if you turn right, we described in 'walk 1'. In this walk we go left, up the dirt road.
• Walk to the T-junction and turn right there.
• Walk down the road until you come to a gate in front of you and see the water in front of you on the left.
• Here you have a choice: go through the gate or turn left along the other gate and continue down the road.
• Walk left past the other fence down the road further until you come to another fence on the right after 200 metres. Actually, it is more of a passage than a fence.
• Go through it and immediately after the passage turn left onto the summer dyke.
• After about 300 metres, you will see the Zandgat on your left. Directly left of the water you see a beach where you can take a break.
• Turn left, so the water is on your right.
• Walk all the way to the end past the water. Now you can go to the right for some relaxation on a beach or you can continue walking on an ever narrower and more difficult (but very exciting!) path at the other side of the water. You can also go left through the fence in front of you to the road.
• Through the fence you can only follow the road to the left. Walk along the road to the right and walk a long way in the direction of the Waaldijk.
• Halfway down the road you can walk to the right into the Blommenwaard which is a so-called 'private nature reserve' of the SBNL. You can walk around the lake in 15 minutes, but it can also take much longer, it is worth the effort.
• When you arrive at the dyke, turn left up and walk along the cycle path back to Bommelgaard, again watch out for any cyclists....
• Welcome back to Bommelgaard!