An undiscovered gem, full of beautiful flora and fauna. This storage area was dug in the 14th century to collect the excess water between the polders. Now it is an oasis of peace in which grasslands, reed beds and water alternate. Have your camera ready, because the swamp fields are the home and breeding ground for many bird species. The purple heron, the marsh harrier and the china grouse, you can admire them all.
Somewhat hidden in the woods along Gedekte Gemeenschapsweg between Fort Honswijk and Werk aan de Korte Uitweg is the small but atmospheric Lunet aan de Snel. The earthen rampart allowed defenders to repel an attack on Fort Honswijk from the north-east. In addition, its guns covered parts of the Lekdijk – something that could not be achieved from Fort Honswijk.
These days, the fort houses an exhibition that illustrates the key role that water plays in our community and its unique properties.
Lekdijk 56b
3998 NJ Schalkwijk
Lock at Cothen
Lock at Cothen
The water board uses the dam in the Kromme Rijn in Cothen to regulate the flow of water to and from Utrecht. The monumental lock alongside it (from 1865) was used during wartime to move ships past the dam. When the Waterline needed to be flooded, the commander of the inundation station at Wijk bij Duurstede first gave the order to raise the water level in the Kromme Rijn by closing off the lock with stop logs. Next, he ordered the stop logs to be removed so that a large body of water could flow from the open lock to Utrecht.