Tour through the Pannenhoef nature reserve

This cycling route takes you through the beautiful Pannenhoef nature reserve, the area between Zundert, Etten-Leur, and Rijsbergen. You start at Meersel-Dreef. The oldest mention of Meersel dates back to 1228. The name "Dreef" was added in 1690 when a lane was constructed to the Capuchin monastery. Due to religious persecution in the Netherlands, many Catholics came to practice their faith just across the border. It became so busy that a good access road had to be built: the Dreef. Since 1895, there has also been a Marian park with a Lourdes grotto. Along the way, stop off at Restaurant Flore Rijsbergen! The landscape of the Pannenhoef nature reserve was shaped by peat extraction and land reclamation. For three centuries, people left their mark on the area in this way.