Malpie route

Via the Valentinuskapel in Westerhoven you cycle to the Malpie nature reserve. In the Middle Ages there was a chapel on the site of the current chapel, which was destroyed and then rebuilt. It is the only place in the Netherlands where Valentine is still honored every year. Of course on February 14: Valentine's Day. Valentine is the patron saint of friendship and love. The well next to the chapel is probably older than the 8th century and was consecrated by Irish monks as a baptismal well. The water is always much higher than in the river, even in extreme drought. The Malpie is a nature reserve between Valkenswaard and Borkel en Schaft. The area is known for its small and large fens and heathland. The river Dommel flows to the left of the cycle path. For a long time it was thought that the name Malpie came from'mal pays\\\' from French which means'bad country\\\'. However, the name Malpie has been around much longer than the French were in our country in Napoleon's time. It is probably a corruption of a medieval name for a path to a border marker. This specific route, as described in the leaflet, is 24 kilometers long. The general Malpie route is divided into various loops that you can cycle separately and consecutively. More information about this can be found at the local tourist information offices in the vicinity of nature reserve De Malpie. For more information, visit: www.routesinbrabant.nl.