Cycling loop Bergen op Zoom | Brabant Monastery Trail
Cycle from Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey on a peaceful route across the Brabantse Wal.
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This 52-km cycle loop takes you on a wonderful route across the Brabantse Wal or Brabants Ridge. Experience the tranquillity of the Quiet Zone in Grenspark de Kalmthoutse Heide, a cross-border nature reserve. Stop for a cup of coffee in Bergen op Zoom before immersing yourself in the greenery of the Brabantse Wal one more time. Meet the community at De Huijberg, next to the Brothers of Huijbergen, and find inspiration there. End your route where you started, at Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey.
Retreat. It literally means withdrawing from everyday life. Put your calendar asi…
This 52-km cycle loop takes you on a wonderful route across the Brabantse Wal or Brabants Ridge. Experience the tranquillity of the Quiet Zone in Grenspark de Kalmthoutse Heide, a cross-border nature reserve. Stop for a cup of coffee in Bergen op Zoom before immersing yourself in the greenery of the Brabantse Wal one more time. Meet the community at De Huijberg, next to the Brothers of Huijbergen, and find inspiration there. End your route where you started, at Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey.
Retreat. It literally means withdrawing from everyday life. Put your calendar aside, switch off your phone and close your laptop. You can do this within four walls, for example in the guest accommodation at the Brothers of Huijbergen. Tens of thousands of men and women have gone before you. During a retreat, the religiously devout step away from their busy daily tasks and focus on reflection and their relationship with God. Even if you are not religious, it can be good to remove yourselffrom the pressures of everyday life for a while.
Focus on the greenery
A retreat can also be enjoyed outdoors, in the countryside. This cycling route is ideal for that, not least because it takes you through no fewer than six different nature reserves. Focus on the greenery. At Zeezuiper near Bergen op Zoom, you may spot a white-tailed eagle in spring or autumn. Borgvlietse Duintjes Nature Reserve, meanwhile, is known for its goshawks and honey buzzards. Don’t forget your binoculars!
Cycle or walk the Brabant Monastery Trail
North Brabant is home to hundreds of monastery buildings, more than forty of which are still inhabited. A range of short- and long-distance routes take you through Brabant’s rich monastic heritage, past numerous monasteries and abbeys that tell the story of monastic life then and now. You can, for example, walk the 300-km Brabant Monastery Trail, or cycle the Brabant Monastery Trail, covering more than 700 km. These long-distance routes are divided into multiple stages. If you would prefer a shorter route, choose one of the lovely circular walks or cycle loops. Brabant invites you to slow down, find stillness and wonder.
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Tips from Brabant residents
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Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey (Volksabdij O.L.V. Ter Duinen)
Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey was established as a youth labour camp, where education and care were also provided.
O.L.V. Ter Duinenlaan 1994641 RM Ossendrecht
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Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide
Kalmthoutse Heide Border Park is a cross-border nature reserve that extends into Belgium, featuring heathland, ponds, shifting sand dunes, meadows, and forests. It is the area’s ecological and cultural-historical values that make it truly unique.
Het Markiezenhof
The Markiezenhof residential palace was built in the 15th century for the lords and marquises of Bergen op Zoom.
St Marie Monastery (Klooster Sainte Marie)
In the 1990s, the Brothers of Huijbergen relocated to a newbuild and much of the original property was sold.
The Brothers of Huijbergen
In 1852, the brothers moved into the former Hermits of Saint William Priory (Wilhelmietenpriorij) in Huijbergen.
Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey (Volksabdij O.L.V. Ter Duinen)
Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey was established as a youth labour camp, where education and care were also provided.
O.L.V. Ter Duinenlaan 1994641 RM Ossendrecht
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Route features
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