Discover the unknown Brabant

When you think of North Brabant, you quickly imagine the vast forests and heathlands in the center or southeast of the province. But you will also find special nature reserves in the region between Roosendaal and Breda, such as Landgoed de Moeren with its mix of forests, flowery meadows, fields and fens.

Centuries-old mills While cycling you will see plenty of old farms and other beautiful buildings. The route takes you past Maria Toevlucht Abbey, among other things. You will also pass the Bisschopsmolen, a corn mill from 1744. Because Etten-Leur belonged to the diocese of Antwerp until 1795, this mill provided the bishop of Antwerp with income for 50 years. Molen de Hoop is a former flour mill from 1840.

The sinful Pannenhoef Just before Rijsbergen you cycle through the Pannenhoef, an area where peat was extracted from the fourteenth to the seventeenth century. Only one of the many fens was not drained: the Lokker. People used to swim in it, mixed at that. To stop this, the pastor of Sprundel had the fen drained in 1938. Now you cycle through swamp forests and past moist meadows and fields.

Maria Toevlucht Abbey The route takes you past the Maria Toevlucht Abbey in Zundert, founded in 1900. This abbey, like De Koningshoeven in Tilburg, is a Trappist monastery. In the gatehouse, to the left of the main entrance, you will find an abbey shop that is open at set times. Here you can buy six-packs and gift boxes of Zundert Trappist, the second authentic Trappist beer in the Netherlands since 2013. The other, La Trappe, is of course brewed in Tilburg.