Liberation route 1st Polish division

This cycle route is one of the cycle routes in memory of the liberation of Northwest Brabant in November 1944. The 1st Polish Armored Division, led by General Maczek, liberated the eastern part of Brabant's Westhoek.

You start the cycle route in the center of Zevenbergen, near the old Sugar Factory of the former 'Sugar City'. At least three German planes crashed near the Achterdijk over which you are now cycling in May 1940.

Bartholomew's Church in ruins

On the way to junction 57 you will arrive in Zevenbergschen Hoek. This village suffered a lot of damage in both 1940 and 1944. The St. Bartholomew's Church was severely damaged in both battles and was rebuilt after the war, just like many other buildings in the village.

Tank barriers

From the Zwaluwsedijk you will find large concrete blocks on both sides of the road. These are remnants of a tank barrier, constructed by the Germans and intended to stop enemy tanks. The tank barriers were connected to each other with a no longer visible anti-tank ditch. It was dug by forced laborers from the'Aussenkommando\\\', or concentration camp, in the village of Moerdijk.

Old Moerdijk Bridge

Just past the barriers you will come across a bunker type 621. It was built by the Germans in the years 1943-1944 to protect the Moerdijk bridges. Forced laborers from the 'concentration camp' were also used for this.

Ultimately, it was the Germans themselves who blew up the road bridge and railway bridge in November 1944. As a reminder of the old Moerdijk bridges, there is a large monument in the shape of an X at the current bridge over the Hollandsch Diep.

Subcommando Moerdijk

A fierce battle was fought in the village of Moerdijk in both May 1940 and the autumn of 1944. In 1943, the Germans established a kind of concentration camp here as a branch of the camp in Vught.

The forced laborers were partly Jews and partly political prisoners and were employed under appalling conditions at defense installations in the vicinity of the village.

Back to the beginning

Via junctions 39 and 38 you return to Zevenbergen and you can enjoy one of the many terraces in the center.

Would you prefer a paper version of this route?

The route is also available on paper at the Het Mauritshuis visitor center , the tourist information points of VVV Moerdijk and at various other tourist locations in the municipality of Moerdijk.