Travel directions to “Lingezicht”

Address

Lingezicht
't Oosteneind 9
NL-4158 CA Deil
telephone: (+31/0)345-652101

Whereabouts

Lingezicht is a century-old farmhouse with ample room for guests, situated on a medieval “dijk”  (levee) along the Linge, a small river that meanders through the midst of the Rhine delta in the center of Holland. Lingezicht is conveniently close to the Deil highway intersection and the Geldermalsen railroad station.

By train

Trains to Geldermalsen depart from Utrecht Central Station with final destinations Tiel or 's Hertogenbosch, usually from the westernmost platform. In the daytime they run at quarter-hour intervals; less frequently in the late evening but until after midnight. Geldermalsen is the fifth stop. There are also train connections to Geldermalsen from 's-Hertogenbosch, Arnhem, Nijmegen and Dordrecht. From Schiphol you need to take an Intercity passing Utrecht (to Nijmegen or Eindhoven or Heerlen) and switch trains there.

From Brussels and Paris best via Roozendaal-Dordrecht-Geldermalsen or Rotterdam-Utrecht-Geldermalsen. From Southern Germany via Arnhem and Utrecht. From Northern Germany via Amersfoort and Utrecht.

The Geldermalsen station is a large monumental building. Taxi service is available at the Western station exit through the new pedestrian tunnel; use the free phone and expect a long wait. The hourly volunteer-operated “buurtbus” may suit: it leaves from the adjacent bus station at about hh:20 during 08-17 (direction Leerdam) and passes our house. Its payment machine accepts OV chipcards and may accept your credit card; otherwise the ride is free. Ask for a stop at the third house after the Deil cemetery.

Otherwise phone us from the train or from Geldermalsen station to pick you up from the kiss-and-ride slot at the Western exit “Deil” of the tunnel. Or walk due west for 20 minutes. Then you first pass an industrial area with large warehouses on both sides (to your right the largest fruit auction in Europe). The stretch of dike called “'t Oosteneind” branches off at the crossing where the bicycle lane ends. The walk then becomes pleasant, offering nice views of the river Linge and the village Deil. Lingezicht is the third house after the cemetery. It lies close to the road and is adorned with its name. The village Deil starts just beyond it.

By car

Deil is close to Geldermalsen, about 25 km south of Utrecht. Driving from Utrecht takes about 25 minutes if there is no traffic jam.

Utrecht-Deil in brief: A2 exit number 15, “Geldermalsen-Leerdam”; turn East = right; after 2 km left on the first roundabout; in the curve to the left go instead right over the bump = straight on; turn right on the dike; second house.

In more detail: coming from Utrecht, take the A27 (direction Breda) and switch to the A2 (direction 's-Hertogenbosch) after crossing first the Amsterdam-Rhine canal and then the northern Rhine arm (called “Lek”). Southbound on the A2, take exit number 15 labeled “Geldermalsen-Leerdam”, just before a tall McDonald's pillar on the left and before (North of) the A2-A15 intersection called “Knooppunt Deil”.

Coming not from Utrecht but from the south on the A2, take exit number 15 “Geldermalsen-Leerdam” just beyond (North of) the A2-A15 intersection (“Knooppunt Deil”). From the West or East on the A15, take direction “Utrecht” on this intersection.

At the A2 exit, turn right (direction Geldermalsen and kayak rental), go past the MacDonalds (right) and Shell gasoline station (left), do not take the left marked “Deil” after 1 km but continue another km to the first roundabout, then turn left into the Krugerstraat.

Follow the Krugerstraat, which means turning right across the awkward second traffic bump in the leftward curve of the main road. Turn right when you mount the dike at the end. Our house is the second one on the right.

If instead, still on the provincial road from the A2, or if coming from the East along the A15 following signs to Geldermalsen and then Leerdam, you reach the roundabout adorned with the locally famous “rusted pears” then go North there, left at the end of the straight tree-lined section, then follow the road West on the dike to the third house after the cemetery on your left.

The name Lingezicht adorns our house and likely you see my white head amidst books in my study, the way the walk-their-dog local villagers know me. Park in our driveway left of the house or on the road. Formal guests ring the bell at the front door, informal ones enter through the side door on the left side.

By kayak, canoe, skates

Follow the Rhine, downstream from Germany or via Maas-Waal link from Belgium and France, upstream from the North Sea. Enter the Linge through the lock at Gorinchem. From there upstream to our house takes two days, a pleasant trip passing fifteen ancient (2000-4000 years) villages with quaint names. Our house is the third called Lingezicht along the river. The second is a pleasant pub in Acquoy.

Reversedly, you may start a kayak or canoe trip at our house. We have over a dozen to choose from in the barn behind our house.

Ice-skating the Linge to/from Gorinchem takes only three-four hours, but the river freezes up only rarely now that we enjoy global warming. However, in January 2009, no doubt thanks to its extended sunspot minimum, I skated vice-versa from our “Lingezicht” to pub “Lingezicht” in Acquoy.