Tour of Vught

The picturesque Vught in Brabant is fun to cycle through. The beautiful municipal coat of arms of Vught was made in 1817 and shows two churches mirrored opposite each other. This is because Vught traditionally has two parishes: St. Lambertus and St. Peter's parish. The village is best known for its former concentration camp. Because of the presence of the camp, Vught has many war monuments where many victims of the Second World War are commemorated. South of Vught you cycle through the Het Groene Woud National Landscape, which is characterized by a lovely small scale on an area of 35,000 hectares. Of this, 7,500 hectares consist of forests, swamps, heathland, fens and agricultural poplar landscape. The rounded fields in the area were created when humans started to develop the area and fertilize poor soils with heather sods. The extensive poplar meadows, also called bocage landscapes, were used for livestock farming. Where the wasteland was not cultivated, the nature reserve remained a rugged area with heaths, forests, drifting sand and fens. Numerous streams flow through the landscape and find their way, leaving a trail of lush vegetation behind them. The route starts at Hotel"De Kruishoeve\\\". From this hotel's free parking lot you can head to Zwijnsbergen Castle. The estate covers 21 hectares and consists of half forest and the other half meadows, with avenues and a chamber. Originally, certainly in the fourteenth century, there was a fief here, which included a fortified farm. Over the years, the site often changed hands and the estate gradually changed. The cellars date from the fifteenth century and the six-sided tower with five rooms was built around 1552. The foundation for what is now the main building was already laid in the fifteenth century, but the building was extensively renovated in 1817. In that year the beautiful garden was also laid out and forty years later the porter's house and stables were built. You cycle around the southern point of Vught through Groene Woud and then turn north so that you can view the Vught water tower. The tower was built in 1903 and is located on the grounds of the Reinier van Arkel care center, on the edge of Vught. The tower was initially built to store firefighting water in case a fire broke out in the psychiatric hospital. It no longer fulfills that function, but the national monument is a nice asset to the site. You will also pass Nieuw-Herlaer Castle, a fief of Oud-Herlaer that was first mentioned in 1381 as Nijeherlaer. The tower that you see on the estate dates from the fifteenth century and the castle was originally behind this tower. A square had been created in front of the tower, which was surrounded by a wall with loopholes and a moat. A fortified gatehouse had been built on that square and access to the square was via a drawbridge. Later the castle was moved and stood in front of the tower on the (former) square. The last sight of the tour is Haanwijk hunting lodge. The estate covers approximately 110 hectares and several of the different buildings you see are on the National Register of Monuments. A beautiful castle from 1649, an old bakery, a ferry house and authentic farms are surrounded by park forests with centuries-old trees. Historical dikes have been constructed around it. If you also want to see the De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park, we recommend that you spend the night at Hotel"De Kruishoeve\\\", because route 129264 also departs from this hotel to this beautiful area. You can also have an extensive lunch and dinner in the restaurant, so that you can get on your bike with a well-filled stomach or enjoy a nice meal upon your return.