Wijk bij Duurstede and Utrechtse Heuvelrug

The Landscape

In the ancient cultural landscape north of the Lower Rhine, two worlds converge: the low, water-rich river plains and the high, dry sandy soils of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug. This transitional region is one of the most beautiful and diverse in the Netherlands, where the layers of the past remain clearly inscribed in the land.

Between the floodplains of the Lower Rhine and the wooded hills of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug lie stately castles, ancient estates, lush country houses, and orchards brimming with fruit trees. Pollarded willows line the meadows, while alder swamps alternate with wet hayfields. Further up, vast forests, heathlands, and drifting dunes shape the landscape. The contrast between low and high, wet and dry, agriculture and nature makes this region truly one of a kind.