Cycle route: Past Grazers and Grass Lands
Sample the Maashorst with Inspecteur Löhnis, Early Rivers and the Udense Kers cherry. 125,000 years ago, the River Maas flowed through Brabant’s largest nature reserve: the Maashorst.
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Sample the Maashorst with Inspecteur Löhnis, Early Rivers and the Udense Kers cherry
125,000 years ago, the River Maas flowed through Brabant’s largest nature reserve: the Maashorst. The area comprises dark stretches of coniferous woodland, colourful heathland, open spaces, marshy pools and ponds, and towering trees. There are lovely walking and cycling routes from the Slabroek Visitor Centre, and you might get to see one of the large grazing animals; the European bison, Tauros or Exmoor pony
During the last century the Maashorst was renowned for its cherry cultivation around Uden. These fruit tree varieties disappeared towards the end of the Seventies. Nowadays the Maashorst farmers use low intensity cultivation for new, highly productive cherry varieties, and the sweet Uden cherry is once again in full production in the Maashorst! Other varieties of cherry include the Hedelfinger cherry, the Inspecteur Löhnis, the Early Rivers cherry, the Mierlo Black cherry and the Varik Black cherry.
But there i…
Sample the Maashorst with Inspecteur Löhnis, Early Rivers and the Udense Kers cherry
125,000 years ago, the River Maas flowed through Brabant’s largest nature reserve: the Maashorst. The area comprises dark stretches of coniferous woodland, colourful heathland, open spaces, marshy pools and ponds, and towering trees. There are lovely walking and cycling routes from the Slabroek Visitor Centre, and you might get to see one of the large grazing animals; the European bison, Tauros or Exmoor pony
During the last century the Maashorst was renowned for its cherry cultivation around Uden. These fruit tree varieties disappeared towards the end of the Seventies. Nowadays the Maashorst farmers use low intensity cultivation for new, highly productive cherry varieties, and the sweet Uden cherry is once again in full production in the Maashorst! Other varieties of cherry include the Hedelfinger cherry, the Inspecteur Löhnis, the Early Rivers cherry, the Mierlo Black cherry and the Varik Black cherry.
But there is plenty more to sample in the Maashorst! Visit the Kreitsberg or the Paddestoelenhuis (Mushroom House). Stop on your way to enjoy a special Maashorst sausage roll made from hulled wheat, and dine on the meat of the Brandrood cattle. A culinary visit to the Maashorst is not complete without a delicious beer. For this you should go to the Special Beer Brewery in Oijen. If you’re looking for something to take home, you can select your own products, right from the land at De Meulenhof pick-your-own farm
If you’re looking for more tasty trips in the Masasthorst, click here for more information.
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Sights on this route
Starting point:
Waypoint bike 44
Nistelrode
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Waypoint bike 44
Nistelrode
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Oijen Beer Brewery
Located between Nijmegen and ’s-Hertogenbosch this former farm, converted into a beer brewery and distillery, offers an incredible number of activities in typical Dutch rural surroundings.
Starting point:
Oijense Bovendijk 615394 LA Oijen
Starting point:
De KreitsbergKreitsberg 14a
5411 RH Zeeland
Natuurcentrum De Maashorst
Starting point:
Erenakkerstraat 55388 SZ Nistelrode
End point:
Waypoint bike 44
Nistelrode
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Story of the route
Starting point:
Waypoint bike 44
Nistelrode
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- De Kreitsberg
A visit to a Brabant vineyard
The Kreitsberg vineyard is located on the edge of the Maashorst in natural surroundings. Anyone keen to know about Brabant wines can take part in a guided tour and wine tasting at this family business. You will be told how the vineyard originated, which grape varieties grow here and how wine production is undertaken.
The Kreitsberg is unique in this regard, it is the only vineyard in the Maashorst. A visit to the vineyard can be combined with a meal and an overnight stay. The Kreitsberg also has a Farmyard Campsite and Bed & Breakfast and they can arrange a Farmer’s Tapas, Barbecue or a lunch with local products. - Oijen Beer Brewery
From hay barn to tasting room
The brewer brews a lager beer and nine craft beers in the former slurry pit of this old farmhouse. By following old recipes, local products are mostly used to produce a pure natural beer in this brewery. The multilingual staff will be happy to take you on a tour of the brewery, after which you can admire the views of the polder from the veranda. With a bit of luck the chef will be tending to the hot charcoal on the ‘braai’ barbecue. Predominantly fresh, local products are used in culinary Brabant cuisine, and that’s something you’ll notice. The former hay barn now serves as the tasting room, while the old drinking troughs in the Hap & Tap remind us that this was once a cowshed, where you can relax next to the stove. - Brasserie L'église - Feesterij ’t
Brasserie L'église - Feesterij ’t is an official Brabants Fietscafé; a Brabant Bicycle Café. In these bicycle cafés, cyclists are made to feel especially welcome! You can stop by for a delicious bite to eat or a refreshing drink, and make use of facilities such as a repair kit, bicycle pump and e-bike charging station. These bicycle cafés can be recognised by the hexagonal 'Brabants Fietscafé' sticker on the window.
- Boer Spierings
Red with white fetlocks: the Brandrode cattle
The Brandrode (literally ’fire red’) cattle is one of the best known grazers in the Maashorst: it’s a strong and friendly brownish-red cow with a white head, belly, tip of the tail and fetlocks. The cattle are very rare, around the year 2000 there were only a few dozen in the Netherlands. Marlies Hermans from Beuningen was their saviour and Farmer Spierings from Oss took the fire red cattle over from her. He now lets his livestock graze on the meadows around national monuments.
The aim of the family is to add value as far as possible to their own products and to balance the books. The meat is processed by dry ageing. Milk, cheese and meat is on sale at Farmer Spierings’ farm shop, as are local products from other suppliers.
End point:
Waypoint bike 44
Nistelrode
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