Route of the Turf

From the thirteenth to the beginning of the eighteenth century, West Brabant was largely dominated by peat. In the summer months, peat was dug up in the vast peat areas, laid out to dry and then transported via peat canals to the peat heads in Bergen op Zoom and Roosendaal, among other places. The 'Route of the Peat' connects these peat heads for cyclists via centuries-old peat canals. At the height of peat extraction, there were 350 kilometres of peat canals in western North Brabant and the Belgian Kempervennen. All dug by hand. Sometimes a peat canal crossed a stream, such as the Molenbeek near Nispen, and an aqueduct was therefore needed. The route also crosses old peat areas where a peat layer several metres thick used to be present. Take a break at Brasserie Oostplein!