Heumen lies on the Meuse, just south of Nijmegen and on the border with Brabant and Limburg. Here, the landscape shifts between fens, forests, heathland and floodplains. Hiking trails lead to places of natural and historical interest; mills and memorials tell further stories of the area.

Fens, moraines and hiking trails

The Overasseltse en Hatertse Vennen cover 520 hectares and include around twenty fen lakes. They formed about 10,000 years ago under the influence of the Meuse and Waal rivers. Heumen’s moraine landscape, by contrast, dates back to the penultimate ice age. Marshes, forests, heathland and floodplains shape the wider landscape.

The Vennen hiking route runs for 6.5 kilometres through the area. Yellow wooden posts mark the route, and in summer the heathland turns purple along the way. Markers may change; check them on site if needed, and check trail conditions before setting out.

Another hiking option is the blue route of the Heerlijkheden van Overasselt: an 8.8-kilometre historic walk through Overasselt. It passes a 15th-century chapel associated with the Sint Walrick monastery. This gives you a choice of routes with different lengths and focuses.

The partly paved Familiepad Heumensoord is suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. Blue arrows mark the family trail, which passes the Speelkuil. As maintenance work or route changes may affect accessibility, check the latest conditions before your visit.

The Ommetje Bos en Kuil also passes through Heumensoord: the route winds through the woods, along the Maas-Waalkanaal and over an ancient Roman road. The long Ommetje Heumen runs through and around the village of Heumen, over dikes and along the Meuse; it can be extended through the Heumens Bos and along the Maas-Waalkanaal. In addition to a variety of walking and cycling routes, Heumen has numerous bridleways. On the “Luxe achter de Limes | 2. Heumen, Nijmegen, Berg en Dal” route, follow numbered cycling junctions marked in the landscape with white signs and green numbers.

Memorials and history

The Heumen war memorial commemorates those who fell and were buried in 1944 at the temporary military cemetery on the Bergzicht estate in Heumen. Behind the brewery in Molenhoek, a memorial marks the site of a temporary cemetery for 836 military personnel and members of the air forces from the United States and the United Kingdom. The cemetery was about 300 metres from the memorial and was closed in May 1948.

At the bridge in Heumen, the Liberation Route Heumen & Mook has an audio point. Visitors can use their smartphones to listen to the story of the bridge’s capture. The Second World War walking route in Overasselt focuses on local wartime history and is thematically connected to Operation Market Garden. Heumensoord is also home to the remains of a Roman watchtower dating from the 3rd century.

Mills, art and regional products

The Joannusmolen is a grain mill built by Joannus Jetten in 1894. It has been used to grind organic grain since 1982. You can visit the mill when it is operating, or by arrangement with the volunteer miller. After being dismantled in 1978, the Molen Zeldenrust was moved to the Oude Kleefsebaan and rebuilt there.

Art and rural crafts are also among the discoveries to be made here. Sculptor Jac Maris lived in the Marishuis for 70 years; the Jac Maris studio museum is one of the few studio museums in the Netherlands. The De Lage Hof Agricultural Museum is housed in a monumental farmhouse. Its distinctive barns contain old machinery and tools used by farmers and craftspeople.

You can sample local regional products in Heumen. If you are looking for specific producers, check their details separately.

Discover more destinations: Overasselt, Malden, Lingewaal, Nijmegen, Oude Ijsselstreek, Voorst, Westervoort, Wijchen.

For the main travel overview: Gelderland.