Tour of Valkenswaard and Leenderbos from Achelse Kluis

You start this route at the Achelse Kluis, a Trappist abbey. This has been a religious place for centuries. In 1656, a border chapel was built nearby. Catholics from the Protestant Netherlands were allowed to hold their religious services here, just across the border. Take a beer from the brewery! Along the way, you cross Plateaux-Hageven, a Dutch-Belgian nature reserve where the borders blur. Before you know it, you have crossed the border on the winding paths and you are in Belgium. The nature reserve is located between dry sandy soils and the Dommel stream valley. You will also pass nice old villages such as Westerhoven and Dommelen. Take a break above Valkenswaard at Wandelpark! You cycle back through the Leenderbos. Here you can still find a number of old 'kampkes', old heath fields.