Cycling along the Regge river
Bertine  Kleinjan
Written by Bertine Kleinjan
2 min
21022 x read

Cycling along the lovely Regge river, it is almost impossible to imagine how harsh life here used to be. Skippers and farmers struggled for centuries. At times, the river could be too wild and too ferocious. At other times, too dry or too dirty. Agriculture, livestock farming and shipping never came easy. There was respite for a while, when the river was canalised and ran nice and straight. It didn’t last long: new problems arose. Nowadays, the Regge river meanders as before and the inviting cycle paths happily twist and wind their way to the river’s course. Everything seems just fine and dandy for now!

The Regge restoration works are mainly intended to prevent flooding and drying-out of the soil. The results are great: impressive, newly added nature with fish ladders, bridges and wildflowers. There are plenty of benches to sit and take in the beauty around you. Philosophers ponder the symbolism of meandering. Bon vivants celebrate with a picnic basket.

Velderberg

The Regge river has regained its natural shape at the Velderberg too: a splendidly varied area with extraordinary plants and animals, not least due to frequent flooding. Cornflowers and camomile are welcomed back on the (often) ecological meadows. Can you see the holes pierced into the riverbanks? These are nesting places for sand martins, sometimes up to 120 cm deep.

a 2400 km swim for sex

Another 6,000 eels were released into the Regge river in 2019. Did you know that once they have struggled through adolescence, they will travel about 2,400 km to mate? They migrate en masse to the Sargasso Sea, east of the Caribbean. The fish ladders have given the eels a straight run: into the Vecht river in Overijssel first, then onto open sea.

Routes

Can’t wait to feel the wind in your hair? To see nosey cows and taste delicious local products? Choose a route. Grab your bike and explore the winding cycle paths along the Regge river. Let’s hope one day is enough...

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Bertine  Kleinjan
Bertine  Kleinjan
Written byBertine Kleinjan

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