Breda, Oosterhout and Dongen

The vast forest area Boswachterij Dorst is located between Breda, Oosterhout and Dongen. This property of Staatsbosbeheer covers 1,117 hectares and consists mainly of Scots pine trees that were planted in the early nineteenth century. At that time, this area was still called'Seterse Heide\\\'. Heather remnants and deciduous groves can be seen in the area. A number of clay pits have also been created due to the activities of a former brick factory in the region. Yellow-green sedge, recumbent wingwort and ground star are some of the plants you'll find in the landscape. In the mid-nineteenth century, many trees were cut down because the area was used as a military training ground. This also resulted in many sand drifts. When Staatsbosbeheer took possession of the area, trees were planted again. Birds use the area as a breeding ground; sparrowhawk, tree falcon and various woodpecker species and various butterflies flutter here from flower to flower. Brown oak leaf, heather blue, pied fathead, greenhorn and the small kingfisher butterfly are no exceptions in the healthy nature of this area. Exmoor ponies and Scottish highlanders maintain the vegetation. The Grote Schans, or the Spinolaschans, is also a beautiful part of the route. The original castle was built in 1624-1625, but was also used during the siege of Breda. Until 1952 the Spinolaschans, because of its favorable location on the river Mark, served as an extremely good defense structure, but after that time it was demilitarized. In 2007, a number of pools were created on the west and north sides of the former military complex, as an ecological connecting zone between the polder and the surrounding nature reserve. Profile Peter van den Broek is located at the start of the route, in Breda. After you have parked your car for free in the parking lot, you can get a 10 euro discount at this Profile location with your bicycle discount card. This discount applies to maintenance and repairs, so before you go out, have your bike thoroughly examined so that you can safely start the bike ride.