The Rhine has always been a frontier here. In Roman times, the Lower Rhine marked the northern edge of the empire, and the Romans built a chain of forts, watchtowers and roads along its banks to guard it. At Meinerswijk, on the southern bank of the river opposite Arnhem, the remains of one of those forts lie buried in the floodplain. It is part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire, Lower German Limes, listed by UNESCO in 2021. There is little to see on the surface, but the floodplain itself, a wide expanse of meadows, ponds and willows, is a pleasant place to walk, and markers explain the history.
The Rhine was a frontier again in 1944, during Operation Market Garden, when Allied paratroopers tried to seize the bridges over the rivers of the Netherlands to open a route into Germany. British airborne troops reached the road bridge at Arnhem, just across the river from Meinerswijk, and held it for several days against fierce German attacks before being overwhelmed. The bridge, rebuilt after the war, is now named after John Frost, the officer who led its defence. In Oosterbeek, a few kilometres to the west, the Airborne Museum and the war cemetery tell the story of the battle.
Riding in the Netherlands is flat and orderly, with good roads, clear signs and plenty of cyclists, who have priority in many situations. North of Arnhem lies the Veluwe, a large area of forest, heathland and sand dunes, with quiet roads winding through the trees and the Hoge Veluwe National Park, home to the Kröller-Müller Museum and its collection of paintings by Van Gogh. To the south, the river landscape between the Rhine and the Waal offers roads along the dykes, with wide views over the water and the meadows.
Arnhem is a city of more than a hundred and fifty thousand people, with fuel, shops and restaurants. The floodplain at Meinerswijk can flood in winter and spring, when the river is high, so paths may be closed. The weather is mild and often damp, with wind blowing across the flat land, and the light in the evening, over the river and the meadows, can be beautiful.