Grashoek: Routes, Peel Landscape and Local History

Grashoek lies among fields and forests. Its landscape has been shaped by the former reclamation of a peat-rich area of the Peel. The village offers a range of starting points for planning your trip: walks, a cycling route through the Peel landscape, and traces of local history. This lets you tailor your time to the subjects that interest you most.

Landscape and walking trails

The small Scherliet nature reserve lies west of Grashoek along the Helenavaart. Woodland and grassland define the area, with some distinctive vegetation in places. The Marisberg-Belgenhoek area also lies between Grashoek and the Peel; its landscape consists of coniferous forest and wind-blown sand. These varied landscapes give the surroundings their own character, with wooded areas alongside open spaces and waterside landscapes.

A 9.4 km walking route in Grashoek follows the Groote Molenbeek. It starts and ends at walking junction 25. Another walking route also starts and ends at this junction and is 5.4 km long. The four-kilometre difference gives you a practical guide when planning a shorter or longer walk. Check the latest route details before setting out.

The 13.5 km Struinpad runs through the Verheven Peel. It passes through and alongside remnants of the old Peel, as well as peat canals, areas of scrub, wet meadows and forests. The route thus brings together different elements of the Peel landscape: waterways and canals alongside open, wet areas and vegetated stretches.

Cycling through the Peel landscape

The Schorfroute starts in Grashoek at cycling junction 21 and heads towards junction 12. It links wooded sandy soils with the open, agricultural fields of the Peel landscape. The route also passes canals and waterways built in the 19th century to drain the Peel and transport peat. At cycling junction 8, it reaches the boundary of De Groote Peel National Park. Check the route and signage before setting off.

Five cycling tours are designated for the municipality of Peel en Maas. In this context, Helden, Panningen, Egchel, Grashoek, Koningslust and Beringe are mentioned. The Schorfroute can be identified by its junctions and the landscape described; this gives it a different, more specific planning reference than the walking routes, for which distances are provided.

Local history and culture

The settlement of the area that later became Grashoek is closely linked to the reclamation of the Peel. Around the middle of the 19th century, the first farmers built simple farms in an area between Beringe and Helenaveen that included what later became Grashoek. The unofficial founding date of the village is considered to be 1918. Together, these details tell the story of a development shaped by the landscape and agricultural use.

An archaeological find also points to a long history: the “sierschijf van Helden,” also known as the Celtic disc, was found in 1844 in the area later called Grashoek. It dates from the first century AD. The village is also home to “Kippen,” a sculpture by Wim Kömhoff featuring stylised depictions of a hen, a rooster and an egg. The Mariakapel on Roomweg was built in 1930 by Mr Engelen as a resting altar during the annual procession.

Memorial sites in Grashoek

The “Sporen die bleven” memorial commemorates the raids of October and November 1944. During these raids, the occupying forces deported more than 3,000 boys and men to perform forced labour in Germany’s war industry; 100 of them came from Grashoek. The “Sporen die bleven” memorial plaque is located at the De Ankerplaats community centre, Pastoor Vullinghsstraat 3. Another memorial is the “Lancaster-monument,” dedicated to the seven-member crew of Lancaster ED-973 of the RAF’s 100 Squadron.

Discover more destinations: Kessel, Egchel, Helden, Panningen, Baarlo, Maasbree, Beringe, Meijel.

For the broader travel overview: Peel En Maas.