Back to the past in the Helden forests

Wonderful pieces of history
The coniferous trees in the Helden forests do not occur naturally in the area. They were planted on shifting sand areas at the beginning of the 20th century. Beautiful pieces of history have also been preserved in this area, such as a landweert, an earthen embankment that was planted with thorny shrubs to stop gangs of robbers. You will also cycle past De Borcht Castle. The castle is surrounded by a moat and it has a main wing with two lower side wings on either side. The castle is not open to the public, except when exhibitions are held. At the castle you will also find an old castle mill, which was used to grind grain.

Fletcher Hotel Château De Raay
Do you want to end your cycling tour in style? That's no problem, because Fletcher Hotel Château De Raay is the end point of this route. Here you can spoil yourself culinary with a dinner in the associated restaurant De Wintertuin. You can spend the night in a luxurious hotel room, but also in a castle room or a suite.

The Kessel Mountains
Thousands of years ago, the Kesselse Bergen consisted of heaths and shifting dunes. Trees were planted here in the early 20th century, changing the landscape. Among these trees, forest partisans were hiding in a shelter with German prisoners of war during World War II. After ten weeks, the POWs were handed over to the Allies. In the woods of the Kesselse Bergen there is still a memorial stone dedicated to the partisans from Baarlo. In the Kempke park in Baarlo there is a resistance monument in honor of these resistance fighters.