Great rivers and Biesbosch marinas

Waal, Nederrijn, Lek, IJssel and Maas are the big rivers of the Netherlands: current and commercial traffic on the river, calm on the lakes in the floodplains.

The Waal is the busiest waterway in Europe and asks for attention and a boat that makes headway against the stream; the Nederrijn and the Lek are dammed, with locks at Driel, Amerongen and Hagestein, and are gentler, while the IJssel winds through a landscape of floodplains to the Ketelmeer. Along the rivers lie the quiet lakes: the Rhederlaag by Lathum, the Eiland van Maurik, the Zandmeren by Kerkdriel, the Gouden Ham by Maasbommel. Where the rivers meet lies the Biesbosch, a freshwater tidal area of creeks and anchorages, reached from Werkendam and Drimmelen.

On the IJssel are the Hanseatic towns of Zutphen, Deventer, Doesburg and Kampen with harbours at the quay; on the Lek Wijk bij Duurstede, on the Maas Heusden and, by the Dieze, 's-Hertogenbosch, and where everything meets, Dordrecht. This area is the link between north and south and the route by which boats from Germany enter the country: for experienced skippers on the river, and for everyone on the lakes beside it.

All 112 marinas in the Great rivers and Biesbosch sailing area, grouped by water, with facilities, number of berths and maximum boat sizes. Blue Flag: 20 · visitor berths: 73.