Mastbos and Markdal walking route

The Mastbos is one of the oldest cultivated forests in the Netherlands. In 1515, Count Henry III of Nassau had the then heathland planted with seeds of Scots pine from Germany. These trees were used to make ships for the Spanish fleet and later the VOC, hence the name Mastbos. In the middle of the forest you pass the Turfven, a tranquil spot! The Markdal is an ideal walking area. The Mark has been meandering here again since 2004, where you can walk along reed beds and flower-rich meadows, while looking out over the rippling water. On the horizon you can see the church tower of the village of Ulvenhout protruding above the treetops. Further on you will pass Bouvigne Castle, a centuries-old hunting lodge.