Wooden shoes trail: Lint and Linie trail – ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wooden shoes trails are fun! I’ve already picked out the next one. In this blog just a short description of the trail (a trail shortener 😉), a few photos and a simple sketch to illustrate. No need for a hiking map, the info on the wooden shoes trails website is clear enough.

This time a report about the Lint and Linie trail.

My experience

The Lint and Linie trail is located on the island of Schalkwijk, in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. An island in the middle of the polder? Yes, that’s possible! Because the island of Schalkwijk is surrounded by water. To the north is the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal and to the south the Lek river. The Lek crosses the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal to the east and to the west is the Lek Canal, which also connects the river and the canal. Of course, you can just get there by bridge or ferry.

This wooden shoes trail is difficult to reach by public transport. There is a bus to Schalkwijk, but only on demand. Since the trail itself is not very long (10 km), I decided to walk to it from Houten Castellum station. An approach trail of about 5 km (and 5 km back). Another option is to walk from Culemborg station and cross by ferry. This approach trail is slightly shorter, but you have to take the departure times of the ferry into account. You can pick up the trail at the Lekdijk.

In Houten, I make my own trail along the former city walls. I then cross the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to the island of Schalkwijk.

The official starting point of this wooden shoes trail is at the TTP (tourist transfer point) Eiland van Schalkwijk at the edge of the town called Schalkwijk. Another trail called the Vuylcop trail also starts here.

The beginning of the Lint and Linie trail is a bit boring, but soon I reach Werk aan de Groeneweg. I get to walk right through this defence line structure with artificial hills and fruit trees. Then I reach the river Lek. Here you can take the diversion trail towards Culemborg station. I continue walking along the Lekdijk myself.

Further down the dike, I come to the next defensive structure: Fort Honswijk. Again, I am allowed to enter the fort grounds through a gate on the side. I walk almost a full circle around the tower fort and there is even a passage in between. Regular activities are organised, including tours, exhibitions, and sometimes there is a pop-up restaurant. I leave the grounds again on the other side and soon come to yet another defensive work: Lunet aan de Snel. Here, too, I can enter the grounds through a gate. I walk a quick lap, briefly climb the Lunet and then walk along the Inundation Canal.

Trail guide about wooden shoes trails

I’m at the inundation area, a kind of lake with a boardwalk and a towing ferry. After this effort of strength, I rest for a while on a bench before getting to the other side of the water via a small bridge.

Via a lovely church path, with church on the horizon, I walk back to Schalkwijk. Via this ribbon town, I walk back to the starting point of the trail. This is where the name of the trail comes from. Lint because of the ribbon town of Schalkwijk and linie because of the many defence works along the trail. From the starting point, I return the same way to Houten Castellum station.

The photos

Final thoughts

More linie hikes

The defence works of the Lint and Linie trail belong to the New Dutch Water defence line structure. Below are more hikes related to the different (water) lines in the Netherlands:

Old Dutch Waterline. I don’t talk about it in the blog, but part of the Old Dutch Waterline trail is similar to the trail below.

Southern Waterline:

Grebbe line:

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