Linge
Encyclopedia
Linge is a river in the Betuwe
Betuwe
The Betuwe is an area in the Netherlands in the province of Gelderland...

 that is over 100 km long, which makes it one of the longest rivers that flow entirely within the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

.

It starts near the village Doornenburg
Doornenburg
Doornenburg is a village south of Huissen in the municipality of Lingewaard, Gelderland, the Netherlands. It has a population of 2797 .Doornenburg Castle is located near the village....

 near the German border. A legend tells us that if there will be no more pigs grazing at the castle of Doornenburg
Doornenburg Castle
Castle Doornenburg is a Dutch castle from the 13th century.The castle is located in the eastern part of Gelderland, near the village of Doornenburg. It contains a front-castle and a main castle, which are connected through a small wooden bridge...

, the river will dry out. The Linge flows to Zoelen, a small village north of Tiel
Tiel
' is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands.The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river on the south and the north side, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal on the east side. The city was founded in the 5th century AD....

 and from there on meanders through the Betuwe
Betuwe
The Betuwe is an area in the Netherlands in the province of Gelderland...

, to end in the Boven Merwede
Boven Merwede
The Boven Merwede is a stretch of river in the Netherlands.The Afgedamde Maas river joins the Waal at Woudrichem to form the Boven Merwede, which at Hardinxveld-Giessendam splits into the Beneden Merwede river on the right and the Nieuwe Merwede river on the left. Its length is 8.8 km...

 near Gorinchem
Gorinchem
Gorinchem , also called Gorkum , is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 21.99 km² of which 3.03 km² is water...

. Until Geldermalsen
Geldermalsen
Geldermalsen is a municipality and a town in the western Netherlands. The municipality of Geldermalsen was formed on the 1st of January 1978 when former municipalities Beesd, Buurmalsen, Deil and Geldermalsen were joined. The new municipality with approximately 10.173 hectares is one of the...

 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
Asperen
Asperen is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Lingewaal, and lies about 10 km east of Gorinchem on the river Linge. It received city rights in 1313....

 and Leerdam
Leerdam
Leerdam is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland.The municipality covers an area of 34.32 km² of which 0.53 km² is water. It comprises the town of Leerdam, the rural villages Kedichem, Schoonrewoerd and Oosterwijk. The south border of the...

 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
Tiel
' is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands.The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river on the south and the north side, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal on the east side. The city was founded in the 5th century AD....

 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 bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...

s (with nearest train station on the left and right bank):
  • between Elst
    Overbetuwe
    Overbetuwe is a municipality in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. It was formed on 1 January 2001 as a merger of three former municipalities: Elst, Heteren and Valburg. Overbetuwe is bordered in the north by the river Rhine and in the south by the river Waal. The city hall is located...

     and Arnhem
    Arnhem
    Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...

  • between Opheusden and Kesteren
  • between Kesteren and Tiel
    Tiel
    ' is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands.The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river on the south and the north side, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal on the east side. The city was founded in the 5th century AD....

  • between Geldermalsen
    Geldermalsen
    Geldermalsen is a municipality and a town in the western Netherlands. The municipality of Geldermalsen was formed on the 1st of January 1978 when former municipalities Beesd, Buurmalsen, Deil and Geldermalsen were joined. The new municipality with approximately 10.173 hectares is one of the...

     and Culemborg
    Culemborg
    Culemborg is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands. The city is situated just south of the Lek River...

    /Beesd
    Geldermalsen
    Geldermalsen is a municipality and a town in the western Netherlands. The municipality of Geldermalsen was formed on the 1st of January 1978 when former municipalities Beesd, Buurmalsen, Deil and Geldermalsen were joined. The new municipality with approximately 10.173 hectares is one of the...



The riverbanks in the Betuwe
Betuwe
The Betuwe is an area in the Netherlands in the province of Gelderland...

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'.

External links

  • http://www.lingelandschap.nl/main_menu1/dlng.html (in Dutch)
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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