The Cursed Letter Cycling Route

The countryside around Efteling is perhaps as magical as the park itself. Hop on a bike and discover the lively centre of Kaatsheuvel. Continue your route towards the Loon and Drunen Dunes National Park, cycling through vast forests and past impressive sand plains. Get off at Restaurant Bosch & Duin and walk  (ca. 1 km) to the vantage point. From there, you can admire breathtaking views over the drifting sand plain. It’s highly recommended! In Loon op Zand, you can have a lovely lunch or enjoy a cup of coffee at one of the inviting catering establishments. On the way back, just before junction 11, you will find a beautiful walking path through stately trees. Get off your bike again, because this is where you will experience the final chord of this enchanting cycling trip. 

The story of the Coachman
The Coachman knows everyone in the surrounding area; and everyone knows him. He is extremely conscientious. He has never violated the coachman’s code of honour. He delivers every letter entrusted to his care.

The Coachman does his rounds with the mail coach every day. He lets his horses drink at Het Koetshuis (the coach house) of Het Witte Kasteel (the White Castle). One day, he meets the young baroness there. She has a lovely singing voice, and the Coachman is instantly enchanted by her. She enthusiastically tells him that she has been selected for the Music Contest of the Abbey of Capelle van Kaatsheuvel. Now she is just waiting for the music score for her vocal section!

The Coachman is instantly concerned. A few days ago, a secretive figure in black gave him a letter to deliver to a famous musician. The musician accepted the letter and ripped it open, but his joy turned into terror as he read it aloud, ‘Whoever sees this score is cursed for eternity. This is the Danse Macabre, the Dance of Death!”

10 October 1876. In the village, the Coachman prepares his mail coach for his round. He harnesses his white horse, Stampvoet, and his black horse, Nachtmerrie. Nachtmerrie nervously swings its head from left to right. The Coachman is about to step on to the coach box when the black figure suddenly reappears, holding a letter. The Coachman knows that if he accepts this letter, he must deliver it. He hesitates for a moment. The figure approaches him. One yellow and one blue eye light up. The Coachman flees.

He races out of the village, past the paddocks where other horses neigh restlessly. Nachtmerrie keeps pulling the coach to the left, while Stampvoet pulls to the right. They almost land in a fen.

At a crossing, a black cat suddenly jumps in front of the coach. One yellow and one blue eye light up. The horses are startled, but the cat is chased away by stray dogs barking. The mail coach races on through the cart tracks. Nachtmerrie pulls the coach too far to the left, and they almost land in the shifting sand. Stampvoet pulls the coach back onto the path.

At the next crossing, the black cat leaps in front of the coach again, hissing and with an arched back. Stampvoet manages to pull the coach to the right just in time.

The Coachman has to stop at an inn so the horses can drink. He is momentarily distracted. The black cat sneaks up on the mail coach, a letter clamped in its mouth. It places the letter on the coach box. The Coachman turns and sees the letter. It is addressed to the young baroness, his secret love. Fear strikes his heart. The code of honour dictates that he must deliver the letter to her. And so, he leads the mail coach to Het Witte Kasteel.

As he approaches Het Witte Kasteel, he sees the young baroness sitting on the white bench in front of Het Koetshuis, waiting for the letter. He hears her singing, and his heart breaks. He wants to protect his secret love at any cost. The young baroness must never get the letter! The Coachman violates the code of honour. He races off with the letter, away from Het Witte Kasteel, away from the young baroness. The coach goes faster and faster, passing the Loonse Wissel (bridge).

A little further along, Nachtmerrie suddenly pulls to the left, onto a forest path. This leads to the Abbey of Capelle van Kaatsheuvel! The Coachman has lost control. The coach slaloms between the trees, going faster and faster!

At a crossing in the forest, the black figure suddenly jumps in front of the coach. One blue and one yellow eye light up. The Unnameable! Nachtmerrie rears up, but Stampvoet wants to turn around. The mail coach crashes into a tree. From the impact, all the letters fly out of the mail coach and are blown away by the wind. The Coachman jumps on Stampvoet to retrieve the letters, particularly the one addressed to the young baroness. Meanwhile, the Unnameable jumps on Nachtmerrie to try and grab the same undelivered letter…

Who will get their hands on the letter first: the Coachman, the Unnameable or you? Cycle the route and find out for yourself. But beware: one glance at the score and you are cursed...

Sagas & Legends
Sagas and legends are kept alive in Brabant. Lovely walking and cycling routes take you past the stories of smugglers, witches and a gnome king. With the special Sagas & Legends routes in Brabant, not only do you discover the best places but also the regional stories that lie behind them.

This cycle route has been created by Brabant Partners, commissioned by theme park Efteling and developed in close collaboration with storytelling experts from Breda University of Applied Sciences.