Best: Discover nature, walking routes and history

Best lies in the heart of Het Groene Woud. Nature reserves, a tree-themed walking tour through the town centre, an art route and places of cultural and historical interest offer a variety of highlights. If you are looking for a hotel in Best, you can consider whether your stay should focus more on landscapes and wildlife, routes through the town or the history of the Second World War.

Landscapes and wildlife

The southern part of De Scheeken lies in Best; it is also home to a nature bridge over the A2. De Scheeken is known as a paradise for snails, with many unusual species, thanks to the lime in its clay soil. The soil and its snails give the area its distinctive natural character.

Het Vleutse Broek lies to the east of Best. This scenic landscape, framed by poplars, features plots of land and sandy paths. Several ponds provide habitat for great crested newts, frogs and toads. De Scheeken is known as a paradise for snails, with many unusual species, thanks to the lime in its clay soil; at Vleutse Broek, poplars, plots, sandy paths and ponds shape the landscape.

The wildlife information about De Scheeken also relates to different periods: a total of 13 red deer were released into a fenced area in 2017. The badger has returned to the area, and the common snipe is often seen there.

Walks and art in Best

The Dorpswandeling Best is a walking tour through the town centre that focuses on the trees planted there. It starts at Best railway station. The “Kunst in Best” route has a different focus: it lets you walk or cycle past works of art.

The theme and mode of travel are practical ways to choose between these routes: the town-centre walk focuses on the trees in the centre, while “Kunst in Best” highlights the artworks along the route, which you can pass on foot or by bike.

Mills and history

Korenmolen De Volharding is a windmill dating from 1851. The Bevrijdende Vleugels Museum displays, across several halls, aircraft, tracked vehicles, tanks, gliders, military jeeps, Zündapp motorcycles, anti-aircraft guns, cannons and ammunition that were actually used at the end of the Second World War.

The site where the Allies landed soldiers and equipment by glider in September 1944 is right next to the museum. The museum’s location therefore has a direct local connection to the history of the landing.

The historical subjects differ both in period and in form: De Volharding is a 19th-century windmill, while the museum focuses on the equipment used and its connection to the 1944 landing. This lets you choose between a historic building and an exhibition with a direct connection to the Second World War.

For the broader travel overview: Best.