Wesel-Flüren | Flürener Feld 1 and Arnhem-Meinerswijk

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Wesel-Flüren | Flürener Feld 1

   The Rhine at Wesel is broad and powerful, the main artery of northwestern Europe, and in Roman times it was the frontier of the empire. The Lower German Limes, listed by UNESCO in 2021, ran along the river from the Alps to the North Sea, with forts, camps and watchtowers guarding the crossings. At Flüren, on the edge of Wesel, archaeologists have found traces of Roman activity on the Flürener Feld, probably a temporary camp or military installation linked to campaigns across the river into Germania. Nothing is visible on the surface, but the site sits on the edge of the Rhine plain, with the river and its floodplain stretching away to the horizon.

   Read the complete Wesel-Flüren | Flürener Feld 1 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Wesel-Flüren | Flürener Feld 1 is where the day begins. Next is Kalkar-Kalkarberg.

2. 2. Kalkar-Kalkarberg

   Near the Dutch border, where the Rhine flows through wide meadows and dyked farmland, the small town of Kalkar holds a surprising amount of history. The Kalkarberg is a low rise near Altkalkar, and on it stood the Roman fort of Burginatium, one of the posts along the Lower German Limes, now part of the UNESCO-listed Frontiers of the Roman Empire. The rise would have given a valuable view over the river plain, and the fort controlled the road between Xanten and Nijmegen. Today it is fields and trees, but the shape of the land still hints at the old fortification.

   Read the complete Kalkar-Kalkarberg write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Kalkar-Kalkarberg comes up about 33 km into the recorded legs. Next is Kleve-Keeken.

3. 3. Kleve-Keeken

   Here the Rhine stops being a German river. Just downstream of the village of Keeken, the great river crosses the border into the Netherlands, and a few kilometres further on it divides, with the Waal carrying most of the water west and the Pannerdens Canal leading to the Nederrijn and the IJssel. In Roman times, this was the northern frontier of the empire, the Lower German Limes, and Keeken is one of the sites listed as part of the UNESCO frontier, with traces of Roman military installations along the old river course.

   Read the complete Kleve-Keeken write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 56 km into the recorded legs you reach Kleve-Keeken. Next is Arnhem-Meinerswijk.

4. 4. Arnhem-Meinerswijk

   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.

   Read the complete Arnhem-Meinerswijk write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Arnhem-Meinerswijk, about halfway. Next is back through Kleve-Keeken.

5. 5. back through Kleve-Keeken

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Kleve-Keeken write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Kleve-Keeken sits at 105 km, about halfway. Next is back through Kalkar-Kalkarberg.

6. 6. back through Kalkar-Kalkarberg

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Kalkar-Kalkarberg write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Kalkar-Kalkarberg comes up about 150 km into the recorded legs. Next is Wesel-Flüren | Flürener Feld 1.

7. 7. Wesel-Flüren | Flürener Feld 1

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Wesel-Flüren | Flürener Feld 1 write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Wesel-Flüren | Flürener Feld 1 closes the day.