Heideroute Roosendaal

The heath route: where culture, history and rich nature come together

The heath route will of course take you to the most beautiful heath areas in the Roosendaal area, but the bike tour will also let you discover so many more interesting things! For example, enjoy the beautiful forests and their famous visitors, read more about the peat history of this region and dream away at idyllic fens.

In the Roosendaal area you will find the most beautiful heathland surroundings that can be easily explored by bike. A heath is a semi-natural landscape that is maintained with some human intervention. Heather is not only a feast for the eyes, the dwarf shrub also enriches the poor sandy soils, allowing other plants to grow there.

When you cycle northwest of Rucphen, you will find the Heimolen , also known as Broeke Molen or Hoevense Molen. This mill is a so-called belt mill, which means that the mill is built on a hill. On two sides of the mill belt you will find a passage that used to be used by horses and carts for loading and unloading. He drove in on one side and came out on the other side.

The Rucphense Forests are part of a nature reserve of no less than 1200 hectares. It consists of different parts (Oliepot, Dunes) and has different landscapes such as heath, fen, forest, grassland and drifting dunes.

If you continue your way you will reach Schijf and the origin of the name of this village is a special story! The name comes from the term Swerter Scive, or black disk. And the black disk meant peat that was extensively extracted in this area. The peat was cut into thin slices and then tamped down, giving it a disk-like appearance. At the corner of thezoeksedijk and the Oudezoek there is a tall column that indicates how high the peat used to be here. After the peat extraction, a fen was created at this location, which was later drained.

A few kilometers further lies the Oude Buisse Heide estate, which was once the summer residence of writer Henriette Roland Holst and her husband, painter Rik Roland Holst. They drew inspiration from the environment and are therefore in good company. Vincent van Gogh also developed his love for nature here. There are several buildings on the estate, such as the Buisse Hoeve from 1809, the Angorahoeve and the painting studio from 1919 designed in expressionist style by the Dutch's first female architect Margaret Staal-Kropholler.

If you cycle further and cross the border you will arrive in the Belgian village of Horendonk , once a peat area. The Roosendaalse Vaart that runs through this village was dug in the 14th century to connect the peat areas with nearby cities such as Roosendaal. Here the peat could be sold on the market.

Back in the Netherlands you will discover a completely different area at the Visdonk Estate . Forest, heath, meadow, fens and avenues alternate. This diversity ensures that Visdonk is rich in different types of plants and animals. In addition to heathland, you will also find beautiful fens in this Nature Gate, of which the Rozenven is the absolute pearl, a perfect place if you want to take a rest. From the jetty and the boardwalk you can daydream and look out over the water.

Short circuit route - 25 km

For the shortened route, from junction 62 follow junctions 41 - 52 - 55 - 95 - 96