Get to know the Peel

There was once a raised bog area of up to 30,000 hectares on the border of North Brabant and Limburg. After centuries of exploitation, you now drive through a beautiful mosaic of fields, grasslands and forests. You also cycle along the remains of the old raised bog area.

Monumental churches
You haven't warmed up yet or you're already driving into the woods. Delicious. This forest area was only reclaimed after the Second World War. You will mainly find conifers and some tufts of heather. In the village of Kronenberg you will pass the striking Theresia Church from 1931. The St. Joseph Church in America is also relatively young, it dates from the period of its reclamation: 1892. In the polder and the Schadijkse Bossen you will experience a refreshing tranquility.

Peat colonies
You pass through Griendtsveen and, a little later, Helenaveen. These villages are the only two former peat colonies in the southern Netherlands. Both towns enjoy a protected village view, here you can experience what a Peel mining village used to look like. The Deurnsche Peel (which is located on your right in Brabant) and the Mariapeel (which belongs to Limburg) form a unique remnant of an old vast raised bog area. A unique experience. After your route you can regain your strength at De Turfhoeve.

Historic Griendtsveen
In Griendtsveen you drive through the historic center that enjoys a protected village view. You cycle back in time here with all those special buildings around you. On the Apostelweg, for example, at numbers 2, 4 and 6 you can see the former homes of the staff of the Griendtsveen Turfkruidsel Maatschappij. A little further on you will pass the former office of this company at Deurneseweg 1. The Griendtsveen Peat Spread Company was also active in the reclamation of peat areas in Overijssel and Drenthe. She processed peat soil into products for agricultural and related activities.

In 1999 she merged with two potting soil specialists to form Tref. Griendtsveen is named after the owners of the company, the Van der Griendt family.

From De Turfhoeve you can also drive routes 137946 and 137975.