Walking tour Schaapsloopven and Valkenhorst

Your walk starts with a cup of coffee at Hotel De Valk. First you walk to Valkenhorst with its bird sanctuary. It is named after the falcons that used to be captured here to be sold to noble courts at home and abroad. You also pass the former fish ponds. These are now a bird sanctuary and are partly inaccessible. Then you discover the recently renovated Schaapsloopven in Valkenswaard. The water had become too rich in nutrients, due to leaves that fell into the water. The thick layer of silt on the bottom caused the ecological values to deteriorate rapidly. In addition, the sunfish had settled in the fen, a fish that does not belong here and eats the larvae of dragonflies and amphibians. The adjacent heathland has also been small-scale sodded.