Boating through the Line Landscape
Between Fort Altena and Fort Giessen follow the winding Alm past an aqueduct with boat crossings and through ancient riverbeds. Canoe through a landscape full of history: from Roman finds to the defenses of the Dutch Waterline.
The round trip around Almkerk is 12 km sailing, but if you really don't want to miss anything, take the route to Giessen as well and sail from fort to fort!
The route on the Alm passes remarkable heritage and lies between Fort Altena and Fort Giessen. At the junction of the waters, near the picturesque village of Uitwijk, you pass an aqueduct. This, now a municipal monument, was constructed in the 1960s to separate two catchment areas. A boat crossing was installed here, as was also the case north of Fort Altena near Uppel. A boat crossing was used to hoist a maintenance boat over the weir. You don't need something like this for your canoe, but it is special to encounter a rare landscape element like this twice on this trip.
Just a ...
The round trip around Almkerk is 12 km sailing, but if you really don't want to miss anything, take the route to Giessen as well and sail from fort to fort!
The route on the Alm passes remarkable heritage and lies between Fort Altena and Fort Giessen. At the junction of the waters, near the picturesque village of Uitwijk, you pass an aqueduct. This, now a municipal monument, was constructed in the 1960s to separate two catchment areas. A boat crossing was installed here, as was also the case north of Fort Altena near Uppel. A boat crossing was used to hoist a maintenance boat over the weir. You don't need something like this for your canoe, but it is special to encounter a rare landscape element like this twice on this trip.
Back to the aqueduct: at this junction it's all about which way you want to go. You lift your canoe into the right channel and continue your route. The route largely follows the Alm River, which branches off from the Waal in Roman times.
Roman artifacts were recovered on the stream ridge. From the Middle Ages on, the Alm was a tributary of the Meuse. Today, the Alm is no longer in direct connection with the major rivers.
You start at Fort Altena and canoe right through the polder to near Fort Giessen. Both forts are part of the New Dutch Waterline; an 85 kilometer long line with 45 forts, 6 fortresses and 2 castles. It is the largest national monument of the Netherlands which also includes Fort Steurgat, Fort Bakkerskil, Slot Loevestein, Fort Vuren and the fortified towns of Woudrichem and Gorinchem.
You are welcome at the Fort Altena brasserie from Thursday through Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please note: Don’t have your own canoe? Then rent one from Kanoën in Altena and start your route in Uitwijk. Contact the relevant provider for availability and to rent a canoe. You cannot rent canoes at Fort Altena.
