Ochten: Walking Routes, Waal Floodplains and Local History

Ochten offers visitors several points of interest: paths through the Waal floodplains and dike landscape, Nationaal Fruitpark Ochten, and traces of local history. If you are looking for a hotel in Ochten, these themes can provide a practical starting point for planning your trip.

Walking Routes through the Waal Floodplains

The Uchtapad passes through the Waal floodplains, over dikes and alongside kolken (oxbow lakes) on the outskirts of Ochten, in the municipality of Neder-Betuwe. Those interested in this route will encounter several types of landscape: river floodplains, dike lines and kolken. There is also an inundation sluice on the Uchtapad. It recalls the May Battles of 1940, when parts of the Betuwe were flooded for defensive purposes.

The Waterroute: Betuwe is 12.5 km long and runs from Ochten over the Waalbanddijk into the Betuwe floodplains. Almost 5 km of the route passes through a varied natural area. The Waterroute therefore offers a specific total distance as well as a designated nature section. Rondje Ochten is another option for a circular walk: the route is one of three signposted circular routes around Ochten.

Trail Conditions in Wet Weather

The Uchtapad also has a practical feature to bear in mind regarding trail conditions. During wet periods, the section through the Gouveneurspolder and the Ochtense Buitenpolder can be very muddy or underwater. Alternatively, you can cross the dike via the crossing along the Oude Veerweg and Waalbanddijk. Keep this option in mind when planning your route if you are out in wet weather.

Nationaal Fruitpark Ochten

At Nationaal Fruitpark Ochten, the barefoot trail by the frog ponds crosses more than 30 different surfaces. The park also has a mini-golf course. Nationaal Fruitpark Ochten is managed ecologically. When it opened in 2010, its aim was to teach visitors about fruit growing and foster respect for nature and culture.

The park and mini-golf course are open daily year-round from 10:00 to 20:00. As opening hours may change, it is advisable to check the times before your visit. The barefoot trail and mini-golf offer different activities, so you can plan your visit around what you would like to do there.

Reminders of War and Reconstruction

The Monument voor het 44e Regiment Infanterie in Ochten commemorates 19 soldiers of the regiment who fell fighting the occupying forces during the May Battles of 1940. The inundation sluice on the Uchtapad tells another part of the story of the same period of war: parts of the Betuwe were flooded for defensive purposes.

A later event also had a profound impact on the village’s appearance. Ochten’s town centre was largely destroyed by heavy Allied shelling in September 1944 and was almost completely rebuilt after the war. The present-day Hervormde Kerk was built in 1951 and opened for use in 1952, after its predecessor had been too badly damaged during the war. This sequence of events traces the path from the destruction of the town centre to its reconstruction and the building of the present-day church.

18th-Century Farmhouses

At Liniestraat 3 stands a plastered 18th-century farmhouse with a thatched hipped roof with clipped gables. Another plastered 18th-century farmhouse stands at 44 R I-straat 10. It has a T-shaped floor plan, and the main house has a thatched hipped roof. Both buildings date from the same period and have plastered façades, but their floor plans and roof forms differ. Together with the history of the church and town centre, they add an architectural dimension to the local history.

Discover more destinations: Echteld, Kesteren, Opheusden.

Return to the overview of the wider area: Neder-Betuwe.