On 8 July 1551, Willem van Oranje married his first wife, Anna van Buren, at Sint-Lambertus Church. This precisely dated union gives the city’s history a concrete point of reference. The municipality of Buren lies in the heart of the Betuwe; its area is home to extensive orchards. Historic traces and a landscape shaped by water and fruit growing define different sides of this destination.
History in the streets of Buren
A walking tour takes you to the Weeshuis, the Prins van Oranje windmill and Sint-Lambertus Church, as well as through the historic Plantsoen. This strolling park was created around 1860 on the grounds of the former Buren Castle. The Plantsoen is a Rijksmonument—a Dutch state-protected monument—and thus connects today’s parkland with the history of the castle grounds.
Sint-Lambertus Church also bears several historical milestones: it was founded as a chapel in 1367 and mentioned in 1395 as a parish church dedicated to Saint Lambert. In addition to its historical significance, it serves as a venue and can be rented for exhibitions, concerts, readings and workshops. The Buren synagogue was established in 1804. It is located on Kniphoek in the oldest part of the city and is one of the Muurhuizen, houses built against the city wall. Today, it serves as a venue for exhibitions, readings, craft demonstrations and workshops.
Since 1988, the centuries-old, heritage-listed town hall on the market square has housed the Buren & Oranje Museum. Its permanent exhibition, “600 Jaar Nassau en Oranje ten voeten uit,” features 148 portraits of members of the stadholder and royal families and explores six centuries of costume history. A mini-museum in the Plantsoen also tells the story of the former castle. The permanent exhibition in the entrance building of the general cemetery displays worked stone fragments from the castle collection; admission is free.
The Prins van Oranje is a round, stone-built Dutch windmill, constructed in 1716 as a grain mill. Grain is still milled there using two pairs of millstones. In the small shop, you can buy freshly milled flour and other artisanal treats. This is one way to get to know a building with a long history through the work it continues to do today.
Water, orchards and trails
Eiland van Maurik is an area in the floodplains of the Nederrijn where nature, water and recreation come together. It has a beach and sunbathing lawns, and offers opportunities for swimming and sunbathing, as well as sailing, water skiing and fishing. Conditions can vary by season. Check water conditions before swimming. In the water sports area, WV Maurik operates a quiet, sheltered harbor with 120 berths.
The Water Rijk cycling route starts and ends at Eiland van Maurik and is approximately 30 kilometers long. It follows the Nederrijn and the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal, crossing dikes and passing marinas and waterside recreation areas. This gives you a specific route length along with views of waterways and leisure areas. The approximate distance is a useful guide when planning your own trip, but does not indicate how long the ride will take.
Traces of earlier work on the landscape are also visible: in the nearby Tichelgaten nature area, traces recall former clay extraction and brickmaking. The excavated areas have become wet meadows, thickets, alder woodland and ruderal areas. The Teisterbantpad reveals the landscape around Kerk-Avezaath and Zoelen, with orchards, river ridges, meadows on river-clay soils, monumental manor farms and the old Landgoed Soelen estate.
For a walk, consider Rondje Landgoed Soelen: this hiking route is approximately three kilometers long and starts at the parking lot behind Huize Aldenhage on Achterstraat in Zoelen. Yellow markers indicate the way. You can view Kasteel Soelen while walking around the moat; the grounds inside the moat are not open to the public. The route is considered particularly suitable for walks with children. For comparison, the first stage of the Betuwepad is 18 kilometers long and runs from Tiel through Zoelen and Erichem to Buren. The different distances help you consider a walk and longer routes separately, rather than planning them as similar outings.
Another way to discover the Betuwe is via the Burensepad, which runs along a medieval dike, past a castle estate and through the fortified city of Buren. Those interested in agriculture and nature conservation can book guided tours at De Kortenhof on request, along the fields and to learn about its agricultural nature conservation activities. In autumn 2026, Betuws Wijndomein will offer wine tastings, courses, workshops and culinary experiences with wine and food.
Discover more destinations: Zoelen, Buren, Lienden, Ingen, Maurik, Asch, Beusichem, Eck en Wiel, Ommeren.
For the overview of the wider region: Gelderland.
