The Damned Letter cycling route

The nature surrounding Efteling is just as magical as the park itself. Hop on your bike and discover the lively center of Kaatsheuvel. Continue your route towards Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park, where you'll cycle through vast forests and past impressive sandy plains. Stop at Restaurant Bosch & Duin and walk (approx. 1 km) to the lookout point. From there, you'll have a breathtaking view of the drifting sand plains. Highly recommended! In Loon op Zand, you can enjoy a delicious lunch or a cup of coffee at one of the charming cafes. On the way back, just before junction 11, you'll find a beautiful walking path on your left, winding through a stately tree-lined avenue. Stop again, because here you'll experience the final chord of this fairytale bike ride.

The Story of the Postcoachman

The Postcoachman knows everyone for miles around. And everyone knows him. The Postcoachman is extremely dutiful. He has never violated the Postcoachman's Code of Honor: he delivers every letter entrusted to him.

Every day, the stagecoachman makes his rounds with the stagecoach. He waters his horses at the Coach House of the White Castle. One day, he meets the young baroness there. She has a beautiful voice, and the stagecoachman is immediately captivated. She happily tells him she's been selected for the Music Competition of the Abbey of Capelle in Kaatsheuvel. Now all that's left to do is wait for the score for her vocal part!

The stagecoachman is immediately alarmed. A few days earlier, a mysterious black figure gave him a letter to deliver to a famous musician. The musician happily accepted the letter and tore it open. But his joy turned to terror. The musician read softly: "Whoever sees this score is eternally damned. This is the Danse Macabre, this is the Dance of Death!"

October 10, 1876. In the village, the stagecoach driver prepares his carriage for his round. He harnesses his white horse, Stampvoet, and his black horse, Nightmare. Nightmare nervously swings her head from side to side. The stagecoach driver is just about to climb onto the carriage when suddenly the black figure reappears with a letter in his hand. The stagecoach driver knows: if I accept this letter, I must deliver it. He hesitates for a moment. The figure comes closer... One yellow and one blue eye light up. The stagecoach driver flees.

He races out of the village, past the horse pastures where the other horses neigh restlessly. Nightmare keeps pulling the carriage to the left. And Stampvoet then pulls to the right. They almost end up in a fen.

At a crossroads, a small black cat suddenly jumps in front of the carriage. One yellow and one blue eye light up. The horses are startled, but the barking of stray dogs sends the cat running. The stagecoach roars on down the rut. Nightmare pulls the carriage too far to the left, and they nearly end up in the drifting sand. Stamped Foot pulls the carriage back onto the path.

At the next intersection, the black cat jumps in front of the carriage again, hissing and arching its back. Just in time, Stampvoet manages to pull the carriage to the right.

At an inn, the stagecoachman has to stop to water his horses. For a moment, he's distracted. The black cat stalks the stagecoach, a letter clutched in its mouth. He places the letter on the box. The stagecoachman turns and sees the letter. It's addressed to the young baroness, his secret love. Fear strikes his heart. The Code of Honor dictates that he must deliver this letter to her now. And so, he leads the stagecoach to the White Castle.

As he nears the White Castle, he sees the young Baroness sitting on the white bench in front of the Coach House, awaiting the letter. He hears her singing, and his heart breaks. He will protect his secret love at all costs. This letter must never fall into the young Baroness's hands! The Postcoachman now violates the Code of Honor. He races off, letter and all, away from the White Castle, away from the young Baroness. The coach goes faster and faster. Past the Loonse Wissel.

Not much further on, Nightmare suddenly turns left onto a forest path. This leads to Capelle Abbey in Kaatsheuvel! The coachman loses control. The carriage weaves through the trees. It goes faster and faster!

At a crossroads in the woods, the black figure suddenly jumps in front of the carriage. A blue and a yellow eye light up. The Unnameable! Nightmare rears up, but Stampfoot tries to turn. The stagecoach crashes into a tree. The impact sends all the letters flying out and scattering in the wind. The stagecoachman jumps on Stampfoot to collect the letters. Especially the one addressed to the young baroness. And the Unnameable jumps on Nightmare to grab that same undelivered letter...

Who will get the letter first: the Postcoachman, the Unnameable, or you? Cycle the route and find out for yourself. But beware: one look at the score and you're doomed...

View the most up-to-date version of the route with all the sights at visitbrabant.com/verdoemdebrief .