The N70, is one of the most beautiful walking routes in the Netherlands. The N70, which is quite a strange name for a route, right? The route through the Nijmegen State originated in the Nature Conservation Year 1970, hence the N70. This makes this beautiful route already 50 years old! Hurray!
Why is this route one of the most beautiful in the Netherlands?
The route is very varied, you walk through beautiful chestnut and lime avenues, past meadows with fresh green grass, along exciting paths and last but not least about ‘8 mountains’.
Starting points
You can start the N70 at 6 different places, making it a route that is easily accessible. You can also easily shorten or extend the route. In addition, the route is generally well signposted.
We started in Beek, near Hotel ’t Spijker, in the center. There are enough parking spaces here. But you can also start along the Rijkstraatweg at the intersection with the N325 (bus stop line 58), at the Holdeurn parking lot, at the Oude Kleefsebaan in Berg en Dal, at the De Heksendans restaurant, at Golden Tulip Val Monte (both in Berg and Dal) or at Restaurant Tante Koosje in Nijmegen.
A very clear route brochure has been made about the N70, you will find it here.
The route
In Beek we walk up the Van Randwijckweg, immediately a nice climb. On the left are the bungalows with spacious gardens. At the last house on the left, we turn left into a narrow path. In the Kettle Valley we immediately come across a historic signpost that has been here since 1949. This used to be the border with Germany
It is also immediately clear how many different routes run here; the Pelgrimspad, the Pieterpad, various Slow Journeys and Green Points and an NS walking tour just to name a few
De Duivelsberg and other ‘mountains’ ….
Soon we reach the first mountains. For Dutch standards these are solid hills, if you are used to real mountains, this is of course little. Nevertheless, it makes this walk very attractive and challenging! The N70 is used as a training trail by many long-distance hikers and hikers with heavy loads. Today we mainly see toiling runners, who may have misunderstood the tough altimeters
After we have walked through an avenue of sweet chestnuts, which would have been built by the Romans, we arrive at the highest point. There is a viewpoint that you reach via a staircase. Unfortunately, due to the high vegetation, we hardly see anything of the environment. The castle hills here belong to the castle ‘Mergelpe’ from the year 1000. It was a moth castle, a tower-shaped castle type
Loam
In the part of the route that we follow hereafter, after the Holdeum car park, clay was previously mined. With this good quality clay, the Romans already made roof tiles for Nijmegen – Noviomagus. A little later we arrive at a place where until the fifties of the last century there was still a clay factory.
Filosofenbeek – Philosophers stream
We descend steeply to the Filosofenbeek. What a beautiful name this stream has and what do you think of the mountains; Duivelsberg, Ravenberg, Boterberg and Sterrenberg. We are once again amazed by the enormous height differences in this area.
We are approaching Berg en Dal and with it a number of imposing villas. Although the civilized world is always close during this walk, you almost always walk unpaved and in a pleasant way. You will not be bothered by noise or by mountain bikers racing past, because they are prohibited here
Old laundries and rinses
A little further we walk past a number of houses and in one of the gardens is a restored sink. Several laundries used to use this sink. This well was emptied and cleaned every week and then fresh fresh water ran in from the Elzenbeek.
Rain
It has started to rain. We therefore do not use the viewpoint, the Wolfsheuvel, which is a little further away. From Wolfsheuvel you have, in better weather, a view of the smallest village Persingen and the Ooijpolder.
After this we walk through some beautiful avenues. Lindelaan was planted at the beginning of the last century by Baron van Randwijck. He wanted a driveway for a country house to be built. The house was never built, but the driveway is impressive!
Hengstdal – Stallion Valley
A less impressive part follows, just outside Nijmegen, through the Hengstdal. The oak processionary caterpillar has struck here, as the handwritten sign indicates
Kastanjedal – Chestnut valley
We walk back through the beautiful Chestnut Valley towards Beek. The route always climbs and descends along the edge of the forest, with here and there a view of Beek and the Ooijpolder. Due to the rain, we unfortunately have less beautiful views.In het deel van de route dat we hierna volgen, na parkeerplaats Holdeum, werd vroeger leem gewonnen . De romeinen maakten met deze goede kwaliteit leem al dakpannen voor Nijmegen – Noviomagus. Even later komen we op een plek waar tot in de jaren vijftig van de vorige eeuw nog een leemfabriek heeft gestaan.
Summary
A lovely walk through unique landscape. This route offers a lot of variety. For enthusiasts also a lot of cultural-historical information. It is a popular route, which is evident from the crowds everywhere. We were there on a rainy spring day, yet there were many fellow walkers and runners. Leave early and go on a weekday, but especially enjoy this piece of beautiful Netherlands!
Information
- Start and end point: Beek, six different starting points possible
- Distance: approx. 16 kilometers
- Signage: green posts with white small signs ‘N70’
- Level difference: 375 meters
- Information and map: On websites like Staatsbosbeheer en Gelders Landschap and the route brochure