Moorlands, birdlife and border history in Reusel-De Mierden

Nature and landscape

The De Moeren nature area features wet heathland, dry coniferous forest and naturally regenerated birch woodland. The area is what remains of a largely excavated raised bog that extends on both sides of today’s national border. Different habitats meet here, while the landscape itself also extends across the border.

Het Beleven is a birdwatching area where spoonbills are regularly spotted. Anyone interested in birds will find a good reason here to take a closer look at the landscape and its wildlife. At Zwartven, the drift-sand dune is Brabant’s second-highest point. Zwartven itself is a protected natural monument on a high sandy ridge.

Landgoed Wellenseind offers a different landscape: the meandering streams De Reusel and De Raamloop form the heart of the estate and join in its northern section. Covering 130 hectares, Wellenseind brings together almost all of the Kempen’s historic landscape types. Its streams, their winding courses and the changing landscape types offer a distinctive view of the region’s nature.

Walking and cycling routes

The Reusel-De Mierden route network offers opportunities for walking, cycling, horse riding and mountain biking. A junction network is also available for planning your own walks, allowing you to put together a route yourself. Check the local signage if needed.

Several walking routes can be compared by their stated distances. Rondje Cirkel Reuselse bossen is 6.5 kilometres long, while Suskes Klompenpedje leads through the Het Beleven nature area for 7.5 kilometres. The Natuurpoort de Brandtoren walking route is 12.5 kilometres long. The shortest and longest routes differ by six kilometres.

Cycling routes also vary in length and layout. Littekens van bange dagen is a 36.6-kilometre loop through Reusel-De Mierden. The De Witte Vos cycling route covers 53 kilometres in the area around Reusel and is divided into a northern loop of 28 kilometres and a southern loop of 25 kilometres. You can compare a route divided into loops with a single circular route before planning your ride. Route lengths are fixed, but local route conditions may change.

The seasonal Snoeperkes offer includes a cycling or walking tour using junctions, combined with twelve small tastings at 29 participating hospitality venues. The voucher booklet costs €22.95. Participating venues and terms may change; check the latest information before your tour.

Border history and collections

The present-day H. Stephanuskerk in Lage Mierde is a medieval parish church with a cemetery. Museum De bewogen jaren offers another way to explore the past, with its diverse and extensive collection of everyday objects from the Second World War and the Dutch East Indies. Smokkelmuseumke gives visitors an impression of life on the border in the 19th and 20th centuries.

D'n Droad refers to the electric wire barrier erected along the Belgian-Dutch border in 1915 during the First World War. An example of the barrier can be found in the southern forests of Reusel, between cycling junctions 15 and 16. De Grote en de Kleine Cirkel are the names of two landmarks that pilots used for navigation during the Second World War. The Reuselse Kei is another distinctive subject associated with the region: it is a 550-million-year-old erratic boulder.

More activities and getting around

The Blotevoetenpad Beweeg Natuurlijk is 1.5 kilometres long and features ten challenges involving different natural surfaces. For a different kind of activity, Outdoor Park Reusel offers a high ropes course and the chance to abseil. From a height of 26 metres, visitors can look out over the green surroundings and the many outdoor activities on offer.

Spartelvijver complements walking and nature watching with seasonal swimming. The swimming pond is set in the woods and has sunbathing lawns and a long sandy beach for children. Check current access arrangements before you travel.

For tourist information, the Visit Reusel-De Mierden information point provides information, maps and routes for cycling, walking and horse riding. Check service details before your trip. BravoFlex operates on demand every day, from early morning until late evening. The service has no fixed route or timetable and connects a nearby stop with a public transport interchange, where you can continue by bus or train. Travel and booking conditions may change; check them before your journey.

If you are planning a hotel stay, first consider which experiences you want to shape your visit: birdwatching, a walk of your preferred distance, a cycling loop or border history. Then compare the location of your preferred hotel with your planned itinerary. For seasonal offers and on-demand transport, it is worth checking the latest conditions.

Discover more destinations: Lage Mierde, Reusel, Eindhoven, Son En Breugel, Boxmeer, Geertruidenberg, Lith, Grave.

Return to the main travel overview: North Brabant.