Discover border park Maas-Schwalm-Nette

Just east of Tegelen and Venlo you can cycle through the beautiful surroundings of the German Kaldenkirchen. This route takes you through the beautiful nature of the (partly car-free!) border park Maas-Schwalm-Nette and through picturesque German towns.

Great Heather
East of Venlo you cycle through the Groote Heide. In addition to heath (including the red cap heath, which is rare for the Netherlands), you will also find fields and grasslands here. The heath has been used for centuries as a grazing area for sheep. In Napoleon's time, this area was part of a vast and cross-border moorland. On the German side, the heathland is now wooded. On the Groote Heide there is still a restored old landweer that consists of two sand ridges.

German villages
In addition to beautiful nature, Germany also has a rich cultural history. You will see Art Nouveau villas, characteristic farms and ancient monumental churches. The route ends near the border between the Netherlands and Germany. Here is the Abbey Ulingheide, a former monastery complex from 1884 of the Trappists. Trappist beer was not brewed here, but Trappist liqueur was distilled. The cozy Oelespot Restaurant is located in the former bottling plant. You can enjoy a drink and meal in a unique atmosphere indoors or on the striking terrace.

Former ammunition depot
From Bracht you enter the Brachter Wald. And that's not just any forest. Until the mid-1990s, the British Army operated the largest ammunition depot in Western Europe in this area. After the soldiers left, it became a protected nature reserve. You cycle through heaths and forests that mainly consist of Scots pine. The area is prohibited for motorized traffic, so that you will experience a unique cycling experience here. Also because of the still recognizable former depots. Would you also like to walk through the Nettetal? Then walk route 372961.