Smugglers' route across the Strijbeekse Heide

After an overnight stay at the 't Beekdal nature camping site, you will set off around Strijbeek, a village south of Breda. Borders always seem to have two functions. Apart from separating one area from another, they often provide a lucrative trade for smugglers. For years, smugglers from Belgium and the Netherlands were active in the surrounding forests. This walking route takes you in their footsteps across the Strijbeekse Heide, past the Zwarte Goor and Langven fens. Here you will find a beautiful mix of fragrant conifers, fens and heathland. Moreover, it is wonderfully quiet here, so close to the border with Belgium. If you look around you, you will understand that smugglers in this area had plenty of opportunities to bring their illegal goods across the border unnoticed.