Peat route

In the Belgian-Dutch border region between Essen and Zundert, you'll ride from one unique nature reserve to the next. Hop on the saddle and experience the natural beauty and striking tranquility.

The Buddies
From Nieuwmoer, you can quickly reach De Maatjes, a unique cross-border nature reserve with reed beds, marshy woods, and wet meadows. The first thing you'll notice here is the silence! In Horendonk, you'll ride along the leafy banks of the Roosendaalse Vaart: a centuries-old canal used to transport peat to the market in Roosendaal. The next nature reserve is not far off. In the Horendonkse Bossen, you'll ride among fragrant conifers. It won't surprise you that many smuggling routes once ran through this area.

Wallsteijn Estate
After crossing the border, you'll pass through the Wallsteijn Estate, with its conifers, ancient oak avenues, and hedgerows. Via the small church village of Achtmaal, surrounded by tree nurseries, you'll return to Belgium, back to De Maatjes. Here, a 7-meter-high observation tower offers a magnificent panorama. Next to this tower, a section of the Death Wire from the First World War has been reconstructed. A peat marker has also been placed there, indicating the former thickness of the peat layer.