The Linge is a river in the Betuwe that is 99.8 km long, which makes it one of the longest rivers that flow entirely within the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It starts near the village

Doornenburg Doornenburg is a village to the south east of Angeren in the municipality of Lingewaard, Gelderland, the Netherlands. Doornenburg Castle is located near the village. History The village was first mentioned in the 9th century as Doronburc, and m ...

near the German border. A legend tells us that if there will be no more pigs grazing at the castle of Doornenburg, 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 to the South and the North, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to the East. Tiel comprises the population centres Kapel- ...

and from there on meanders through the Betuwe, to end in the

Boven Merwede The Boven Merwede () is a stretch of river in the Netherlands, mainly fed by the river Rhine. The Afgedamde Maas river joins the Waal at Woudrichem to form the Boven Merwede, which at Hardinxveld-Giessendam splits into the Beneden Merwede rive ...

near

Gorinchem Gorinchem ( or ), also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The municipality of Gorinchem al ...

. Until

Geldermalsen Geldermalsen () is a town and former municipality in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. Town of Geldermalsen The town centre of Geldermalsen contains a two-aisled Gothic church dating from the 15th century, with a Romanesque towe ...

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 is a small city in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of West Betuwe, and lies about 10 km (6 miles) east of Gorinchem on the river Linge. It received city rights in 1313. History In Roman times Asp ...

and

Leerdam Leerdam () is a city and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. The municipality was merged with the municipalities of Vianen and Zederik on 1 January 2019. The name of the new municipality is Vijfheerenlan ...

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 WAAL (99.1 FM "The Whale") is a commercial radio station licensed to Binghamton, New York. It airs a classic rock radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. WAAL is the oldest FM radio station in the Binghamton metropolitan area. It is an ...

, being cut off at

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 ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

and

rivers.

Railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

s (with nearest train station on the left and right bank): * between Elst and

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...

* between

Opheusden Opheusden is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Neder-Betuwe, and lies some 5 km south-west of Wageningen. Opheusden (or "Heusden", as it was known then) was a separate municipality until 1818, ...

and

Kesteren Kesteren is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Neder-Betuwe, and lies about 8 km southwest of Wageningen. Kesteren was a separate municipality until 2002, when it merged with Dodewaard and ...

* between

and

* between

and

Culemborg Culemborg () is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands. The city had a population of 29,386 on 1 January 2022 and is situated just south of the Lek river. Direct train lines run from the railway station towards the cities of U ...

Beesd Beesd is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of West Betuwe, and lies about 16 km west of Tiel. It is situated near the river Linge and has a railway station on the railway from Dordrecht to Gelderma ...

The river crosses seven

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms i ...

s: *Four times the A15 (

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

- Nijmegen) *Once the A2 (

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

- Eindhoven) *Once the A50 (

- Eindhoven) *Once the

A325 A3, A03 or A.III may refer to: * A3 paper, a paper size defined by ISO 216 Biology * A3 regulatory sequence, a sequence for the insulin gene * Adenosine A3 receptor, a human gene * Annexin A3, a human gene * ATC code A03 ''Drugs for functi ...

(

- Nijmegen) The riverbanks in the Betuwe 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

*
www.lingelandschap.nl
{{Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Rivers of Gelderland Rivers of South Holland Rivers of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Rivers of the Netherlands