Heathland route Roosendaal

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

The heath route naturally takes you to the most beautiful heathlands in the area of Roosendaal, but the bike tour also lets you discover so much more interesting things! For example, enjoy the beautiful forests and their famous visitors, read more about the peat past of this region and dream away at idyllic fens.

In the area around Roosendaal you will find the most beautiful heathland environment that can be explored by bike. A heath is a semi-natural landscape that is maintained with some human intervention. Heathland is not only a feast for the eyes, the dwarf shrub also enriches the poor sandy soils so that other plants can 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, which used to be used by horse and cart to load and unload. On one side it drove in and came out on the other side.

The Rucphense Bossen 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.

When you continue your way you will come to 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 extracted in abundance in this area. The peat was cut out in thin slices and then tamped down, which gave it the appearance of a disk. On the corner of the Zoeksedijk and the Oude Zoek there is a high column that indicates how high the peat used to be here. After the peat excavation a fen was created on this site that was later drained.

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

When you continue cycling and cross the border you will come to 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 Landgoed Visdonk . Forest, heath, meadow, fens and lanes alternate. This diversity ensures that Visdonk is rich in different types of plants and animals. In this Nature Gate, you will find beautiful fens in addition to heath, of which the Rozenven is absolutely the pearl, a perfect place if you want to rest for a while. 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