Tour of Heeze Castle and Leenderbos

Your cycling route starts with a cup of coffee on the large terrace of Brasserie Gezellig. The route continues through the Leenderbos and over the Groote Heide, a vast nature reserve consisting mainly of coniferous forests and dry heathlands. Small meadow enclaves are spread out like patches throughout this area. A herd of approximately 300 Kempense Heath sheep grazes the heathlands here. Between Leende and Sterksel you drive through the picturesque stream valleys of the Groote Aa and the Sterkselse Aa. The streams come together at Heeze Castle and from this point form the Kleine Dommel. Heeze Castle is one of the last inhabited castles in the Netherlands, but you can visit it. The middle part dates from the Middle Ages, and the castle has been renovated several times since the seventeenth century.