Den Hout: Village Center, Building History and Nature

A stay in Den Hout can be planned around several themes: the village center, building history, local traditions, and nature and leisure. The Houtse Heuvel, Sint Corneliuskerk and Heilige Eik each offer a distinct focus; other attractions include Boerengolf De Houtse Linies and the Jaarmarkt Festival. The Linie van Den Hout, a former flood zone in Oosterhout and Breda, is another landscape feature to explore. This makes it easy to decide whether the village’s character, history, nature, a specific leisure activity or an event date is your main priority.

Village Center and Architecture

The Houtse Heuvel forms the central village center of Den Hout. This elongated, triangular open space is entirely undeveloped. So rather than a single building taking center stage in the village center, there is an open area with a distinctive geometric shape. If you want to get a sense of Den Hout through its village character, this combination of a central role and undeveloped space is a striking feature.

Sint Corneliuskerk adds a notable architectural history to the village’s character. It is a three-aisled Neo-Gothic cross basilica; its west tower is designed in Early Gothic forms. The term “three-aisled” refers to the basilica’s division into three aisles, while “cross basilica” describes its architectural form. The Neo-Gothic design and the tower’s Early Gothic forms can therefore be seen as distinct architectural features. The church was decommissioned in 2016. Bear this status in mind if you include it in your travel plans.

Traditions and Milling

The Heilige Eik brings nature and religious tradition together. It is estimated to be around 750 years old. A Heilige Eik was already mentioned at this site around the middle of the 16th century. It may have been the present tree or a predecessor. The story of a crucifix should also be understood as a possibility: the Heilige Eik may once have borne a crucifix. The age estimate, the early mention and the possible religious tradition are distinct aspects of its history.

The De Hoop mill also connects a building with a specific activity: grain is currently milled there by volunteers. If milling is a reason for you to include the mill in your plans, check in advance whether this activity will take place on the day you visit.

Landscape, Leisure and Festival

The zigzag-shaped Linie van Den Hout is a former flood zone in Oosterhout and Breda. It includes a dragonfly habitat. Most of the area is designated for walking, while a small section is closed off as a nature core area. If you plan to walk there, keep this distinction in mind and check whether the area you want to visit is accessible.

One specific leisure activity is Boerengolf De Houtse Linies. The course has nine holes and is 1.6 km long. It is laid out in the meadows around the Verhoef family’s farm and the Houtse Linies. The number of holes, length and meadow setting provide concrete points of reference to distinguish this activity from the village and landscape features.

The Jaarmarkt Festival Den Hout has been held for more than 40 years. Unlike the village’s permanent features, it is an event: if the festival is a deciding factor for your trip, check the dates for your travel period.

Discover more destinations: Oosterhout

Go to the main travel overview: Oosterhout.