Son En Breugel: Village History, Architecture and Nature

An organ dating from 1854, a concrete building that was exceptional for its time, and memorial sites connected with Operation Market Garden give Son En Breugel several points of historical interest. There are also walks through nature areas and routes along the Dommel. You can plan your trip around different interests: village history, the events of 1944, or the landscape.

Churches, Architecture and Village History

The Sint-Genovevakerk has an organ dating from 1854; its original stained-glass windows were restored in 2023. The former Sint-Petrus-Banden church tells a different story: after the devastating fire on 29 December 1958 and the demolition of the nave and chancel in 1966, only the tower remained.

The Dommelhuis was built as the Petrus-Banden church in 1959–1960. Its architectural features include a 20-metre unsupported concrete span, considered exceptional for its time. The Oude Raadhuis, meanwhile, was restored and extended in 1920. These buildings represent different chapters in the village’s history and provide tangible reference points for Son En Breugel’s architectural history.

The La Sonnerie complex includes a main building that served as a monastery, a chapel and a school. Because of its commemorative value and its significance to the history of village life in Son during the 20th century, it has considerable cultural and historical value. Smaller buildings also tell stories of everyday life: the Vrieshuisje is considered a distinctive expression of Son En Breugel’s socioeconomic development in the late 1950s. At the time, households did not yet have their own freezers and relied on a communal freezing facility.

Other historical details include the Mariakapel, built in 1950 and usually called the Vredeskapel, and the Gedenkteken Pieter Breugel, unveiled in 1926 by the Flemish writer Felix Timmermans. The roof of Boerderij Wolfswinkel 1 is thatched; the left side façade has a base of red Oud-Holland roof tiles, while the right side is covered with red curved tiles.

Memorial Sites and Walking Routes

On 17 September 1944, the area around Boerderij De Paulushoef was a landing zone for thousands of paratroopers and hundreds of cargo gliders during Operation Market Garden. The Liberation Route Son en Breugel leads to sites associated with these airborne landings and is part of the Liberation Route Brabant, created by VisitBrabant and Brabant Remembers.

The Son en Breugel–Sint-Oedenrode walking stage is 25 kilometres long. Liberation Route signs beneath the regular junction signs mark the route. Parts of the Liberation Route Son en Breugel follow narrow sandy and gravel paths. Check the latest route information before setting out, and pay particular attention to trail conditions after changes in the weather; the distance and markings may be updated.

Another walking option is the Natuurpad Oud Meer, which passes through the nature area at Oud Meer. The trail is considered accessible year-round and includes activities and tasks for children that introduce them to nature. At the start, you can scan a QR code with your smartphone to access the walking route and information about sights along the way. Before your visit, check the current conditions, any seasonal restrictions, and whether the signs and QR access are available.

Heathland, Forest and the Dommel

The Sonse Heide belongs to the municipality of Son en Breugel. It still has pine forests considered remnants of the landscape before the land was reclaimed; the large Oud Meer marsh lake lies in the forest. Nearby, the Sonse Heide and Best’s Nieuwe Heide, covering approximately 250 hectares, form a continuous forest and nature area. The Nieuwe Heide lies east of Best’s built-up area.

The Dommel also offers a specific landmark for a walk: when crossing the river between Son and Breugel, you can see a cut-off side branch near a bench, about 100 metres before junction KP-40. It remained after the Dommel was canalised. An information board by the river explains how the landscape has changed over time.

IVN Son en Breugel publishes some local walks online that you can do independently on foot; check current availability. The IVN VroegeVogelWandeling is considered a long-standing tradition. In the surrounding area, it starts with a bicycle ride from Pieter Brueghelplein to the Mosbulten, where the walking route begins. Experienced birdwatchers help participants recognise different bird calls. The date and organisation vary from year to year, so it is advisable to check the event date in advance.

Practical Information

There is a blue parking zone in the centre of Son en Breugel. To park, you must display a blue parking disc behind your windscreen; check the signs on site. For planning your trip, you can easily choose between the main themes: local history and buildings, memorial sites connected with Operation Market Garden, or routes through heathland, forest and the riverside landscape.

Discover more destinations: Son En Breugel, Son, Sint-Oedenrode, Hilvarenbeek, Nuenen, Gerwen En Nederwetten, Mill En Sint Hubert, Roosendaal, Bergen Op Zoom.

Go to the broader travel overview: North Brabant.