Route

The Walk of Wisdom started on June 21st 2015 with a pioneer route of 136 kilometers around Nijmegen.

The trail takes you through a diversity of landscapes with height differences uncommon for the Netherlands. The major part of the route is dirt road and the outlines of the route resemble a flying bird. Pilgrims start the pilgrimage at the beloved Stevens Church (f. 1273) in Nijmegen city, the same point as where it ends. During the walk you are crossing two countries, three provinces and eleven municipalities.

The big plan is one signposted Walk of Wisdom in every country of the world, which are then connected with local partners. That will probably take some time.

Pelgrimsroute Walk of Wisdom Jachtslot Mookerheide door Bart Kouwenberg

Description pioneer route

The direction is clockwise. Leaving the citycenter of Nijmegen, you directly head for nature (Ooijpolder). The route takes you through the countryside in the direction of the old nobility (Dutch: “Deliciousness”) Beek, where it crosses the ‘Elysian Fields’ and brings you via the lovely village ‘Beek-Ubbergen’ to the ‘Duivelsberg’ (Devils’ mountain). This area is sometimes called ‘the inner outer country’, since the height differences you find here, are uncommon for the Netherlands.

From the ‘Duivelsberg’ you walk along an old estate through the countryside towards Kranenburg (a village in Germany). There you enter the vast woods of the ‘Reichswald’. The route passes the ’Vreugdenberg’ (Mountain of Joy) and the ‘Hemeldal’ (Valley of Heaven) and brings you to the remains of an old swamp in churchtown Milsbeek and one of the most beautiful forests in the Netherlands: the ‘Sint-Jansberg’. The route continues to the ‘Mookerhei’ and an old Hunting Lodge, which was built by a man who –unsuccessfully- tried to impress a potential lover.

Continued: see below.

From the ‘Mookerhei’, the woods of ‘Heumensoord’ and a former estate you arrive at the swamps of the ‘Hatertse Vennen’. From there you walk on to two old fortified city’s; Grave and Ravenstein. Continuing through the ancient villages of Leur and Hernen you reach a christian place of pilgrimage: Bergharen. The route continues via Afferden to the floodplains of Beuningen, where you have the possibility to stroll down the sandy beaches of the river ‘Waal’.

The last part of the Walk of Wisdom starts at the new citybridge, called the ‘Oversteek’, in Nijmegen and ends exactly where you started: at the Stevens church (but not before you looked the devil in the eye).

In fact you have come full circle, and that is exactly what a walk of wisdom is all about: the journey inside is more important than the place you go to.

The pioneer route is inspired on the ‘Streekpad Nijmegen’, but differs from it for more than two third. More about the ‘Streekpad’.

Photography: Bart Kouwenberg, Stevenskerk Nijmegen, Jachtslot Mookerheide, De Waldgraaf in Berg en Dal and the Mookerheide.

Route

Description pioneer route

Continued: see below.

Walk of Wisdom

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