Cuijk, Groesbeek and Gennep

The route starts in the Maasheggen nature reserve. Characteristic is that the plots are separated by hawthorn and blackthorn hedges. The hedges are woven together to grow a dense hedge. The oldest description of this typical property boundary is from Julius Caesar. In his book 'il bello gallico' he wrote that he was annoyed by these hedges because his army could hardly pass. As soon as you cycle over the beautiful Groesbeek hills and valleys, you will understand why it grew into the largest wine village in the Netherlands. The Mookerheide nature reserve is located in the foothills of the Groesbeek landscape. Due to its high location on a moraine, you can enjoy beautiful views. In addition to the natural grazers, you will also encounter badgers, smooth snakes, sand lizards and grass snakes. The Maaslijn, the railway line from Blerick to Nijmegen, runs through the Mookerheide. There was a lot of fighting on this heath; In 1574, the Battle of Mookerheide took place here, in the Eighty Years' War, the Spanish were fought here and craters from bomb impacts from the Second World War can still be seen in the landscape. The route along the water leads through picturesque villages and past various mills. In Groesbeek, you pass the Zuidmolen, a smock mill from 1857. The mill has 3 pairs of millstones. In the Zuidmolen, the miller's trade has been passed down from generation to generation and the company now specialises in bakery products for health food products.