From the Malpie towards Casteren and back!

With a visit to the Eicha Museum, this route is also fun to make with children, but adults will enjoy all the beauty that can be seen along the way just as much.

The green surroundings of the Brabantse Kempen are a wonderful place for a bike ride. Between the villages of Veldhoven, Valkenswaard and Casteren you will find the heaths of De Malpie. Mysterious fens lie in the fields. The soil types are varied in the area and therefore the fens have different sizes and depths. The waters give an impulse to the growth of the plants and the populations of large and small animals. Plants such as round sundew, bell gentian, tormentil and devil's sewing thread grow between cap and heather, but you can also see vegetation in the form of water lobelia and floating hedgehog's head on the fens.

Have you ever wondered what the Romans ate? Or how the reindeer hunters survived? Then stop by the Eicha Museum! Film projections tell the story behind various objects on display. You can look through the glass floor and see the impressions of the structures of the past and the underground medieval well is also very special!

Once you have arrived in Casteren, it is time for a break, possibly with a snack for lunch, in between or for dinner. The children can romp in the playground of restaurant De Kruidenlucht, while you take a seat on the (heated) terrace with a refreshing drink. A good time to rest before you start the second half of the tour.

After you have left the Herbal Air behind you, you cycle thirty kilometers from village to village, until you come across an old water mill in Waalre. The history of the mill dates back to 1350, when the Abbey of Echternach still owned the building. The corn mill has stood the test of time for centuries, but was destroyed by a storm in 1962. Architect Ad van Empel rebuilt the mill, the western part of which was completed in 1992, but the eastern part, which was rebuilt in 1994, was destroyed by fire a year later. Today, the mill is used to generate electricity.

The last attraction presents itself on the outskirts of Valkenswaard. The exact year of construction of this watermill on the Dommel is unknown, but the first mention of the historic building dates back to 1227. At that time, the Venbergsemolen was owned by a sister order. The water mill fell into disrepair and was extensively restored in 1895 and 1977. The mill runs regularly in the summer, but it no longer really grinds.