Discover Netersel

Netersel brings together local history and specific landscape and trail themes. When planning a trip, you can explore several different interests: historic churches and memorials, Neterselse Heath, and hiking and mountain biking routes. The aspect of the village that interests you can be a useful starting point when choosing where to stay.

Local History and Churches

A document from June 1219 is the first tangible evidence that Netersel existed. Netersel’s church is first mentioned in 1340, but is probably older. Originally, it served as a castle or manor chapel and belonged to a nearby tenant farm or castle. The documentary evidence for Netersel and the first mention of the church are two distinct historical points of reference.

The H.H. Antonius en St. Brigidakerk contains a stone baptismal font from the 15th century and a wooden crucifix from the same century. Both objects provide a tangible point of reference for the church’s history. The Oude Kerk encompasses the remains of a moated house and Netersel’s old church. Settlement in the surrounding area also dates back a long way: the earliest settlement there goes back to the Stone Age.

Heathland and Trails around Netersel

Neterselse Heath lies north of Netersel, a quiet area of changing lakes and heathland. Hikers can explore a range of trails: a section of the long-distance Brabants Vennenpad trail runs around Netersel. The 7.9-kilometre Ommetje Netersel circular walk passes De Buntsteker. The two trails offer different formats: a circular walk with a specified distance and a section of a long-distance trail.

De Buntsteker is a bronze sculpture dating from 1994. It depicts a person cutting buntgrass. The subject refers to a local craft tradition: historically, buntgrass from Neterselse Heath was used to weave baskets and beehives. The sculpture along the trail thus recalls the former use of buntgrass.

Mountain biking also has a named route. The Dak van Netersel mountain bike route runs on and around a former landfill in a wooded setting. Its described surroundings therefore differ from the hiking routes associated with the heath, the sculpture and the long-distance trail.

Remembering the Second World War

Netersel’s history also includes Fons van der Heijden: during the Second World War, he provided shelter to many people in hiding at his farm in Netersel. He was also an active link in the so-called Pilotenlijn. This route was used by downed Allied pilots, Engelandvaarders and prisoners of war seeking to reach England via Belgium, France and Spain. The help provided locally and the course of the Pilotenlijn offer two different perspectives on the history of the war.

The Monument voor ‘Geallieerde Vliegers’ on Neterselse Heath commemorates the six crew members of Stirling BK703 of the 149th Squadron. The bomber was shot down by a German night fighter on the night of 28–29 June 1943 and crashed near the memorial site. The monument consists of a glacial erratic with a copper plaque. Its design and specific connection to one crew make it a tangible memorial within local history.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Hapert, Bladel, Hoogeloon

Back to the main travel overview: Bladel.