Cycling stage 3: Megen – St. Agatha | Brabant Monastery Trail
Cycle from Saint Anthony of Padua Monastery in Megen to Saint Agatha Convent.
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Please note! As part of the ‘Meanderende Maas’ project, work is taking place between Ravenstein and Lithoijen and will continue until 2029. As a result, part of this route may temporarily be inaccessible. See the latest information on the works here.
During this 65-km cycling stage, you pass the well-known pilgrimage site of Emmaus Monastery in Velp. Follow in the footsteps of hundreds of pilgrims and take time to reflect as you cycle along the Maas. Feel the pressures of everyday life recede into the distance along the way.
Hundreds of walkers and pilgrims have spent the night in Emmaus Monastery in Velp. They came in search of silence, calm and perhaps space for reflection. And it’s not hard to see why: this monastery is said to be the quietest place in the Netherlands.
Monasteries as a common thread
This is not the only monaste…
Please note! As part of the ‘Meanderende Maas’ project, work is taking place between Ravenstein and Lithoijen and will continue until 2029. As a result, part of this route may temporarily be inaccessible. See the latest information on the works here.
During this 65-km cycling stage, you pass the well-known pilgrimage site of Emmaus Monastery in Velp. Follow in the footsteps of hundreds of pilgrims and take time to reflect as you cycle along the Maas. Feel the pressures of everyday life recede into the distance along the way.
Hundreds of walkers and pilgrims have spent the night in Emmaus Monastery in Velp. They came in search of silence, calm and perhaps space for reflection. And it’s not hard to see why: this monastery is said to be the quietest place in the Netherlands.
Monasteries as a common thread
This is not the only monastery along this cycle route. You could see the many monasteries you pass along the way as a common thread. Meandering along the Maas, you pass abbeys and monasteries that have taken on new functions over the years, while others still serve their original purpose. As you cycle from one monastery to the next, you pass charming places such as the fortified town of Grave. You travel through wetlands, grasslands and rugged floodplain forests, including at De Keent Nature Reserve. It is a true paradise for birdwatchers and anyone who enjoys seeing large grazers roam the landscape. And you will notice that the daily hustle and bustle feels miles away. The tall tower of Saint Agatha Convent marks the end of this modern pilgrimage. And if all goes well, you will take a little of thatpeace home with you.
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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Saint Anthony of Padua Monastery
Two monasteries along the River Meuse in Megen are still inhabited today. The Poor Clares live in Saint Joseph’s Hill Monastery, while the Order of Friars Minor resides in the Saint Anthony Monastery.
Kloosterstraat 65366 BH Megen
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Klooster Sint-Josephsberg
The Sint-Josephsberg Monastery of the Order of the Poor Ladies is the oldest still inhabited Poor Clare monastery in the Netherlands.
Saint Servatius church Megen
The Saint Servatius church is a Roman Catholic church in the Dutch town of Megen, dedicated to Saint Servatius of Maastricht.
Brother Everardus chapel
In Megen, the Holy Bruurke enjoys some recognition. Brother Everardus Witte (1868-1950) was the porter at the monastery from around 1920 until his death in 1950.
Hof van Lof
Adjacent to the Franciscan monastery lies the walled monastery garden, which served as a vegetable garden for centuries. When the number of friars in the monastery declined, the garden was repurposed
Gevangentoren Megen
The Gevangenpoort is a gate tower in the town of Megen, built in the 14th century.
St. Laurentius church
The oldest churches of Brabant can be found along the Maas, in Neerlangel, Dennenburg, and Dieden.
St. Willibrordus Church
The neo-Gothic St. Willibrordus Church was built in the 19th century according to a design by Pierre Cuypers, architect of, among other things, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Saint John the Baptist Church
Saint John the Baptist Church is home to the oldest church tower in North Brabant, dating back to the 11th century. The church is open daily to visitors.
Monastery Soeterbeeck
The monastic community of Soeterbeeck was founded in 1448 in Nederwetten (near Nuenen). In 1732, the sisters had to flee and bought an estate in Deursen, located in the Free Land of Ravenstein.
Former Monastery Huize Nazareth
House Nazareth (1845) was a branch of Soeterbeeck. In 1922, the Sisters of J.M.J. took over the educational duties. They built a school, a nursing home, and a hospital. In 2006, the sisters left.
Church Sint-Viktor
The church from 1405 had been given over to the Protestants. Because there were very few of them, the church was neglected. In the 19th century, the church collapses after a flood, leaving only the tower standing.
Nature reserve Keent
Keent is a young nature reserve. Keent was once located in Gelderland, but because a meander of the Maas was cut off in 1938, the hamlet of Keent was added to North Brabant.
Monastery of the Missionaries of the Holy Family
In March 1895, Father Berthier traveled from France to visit friends in Tilburg, seeking accommodation for his congregation, “the Fathers of the Holy Family” (commonly known as the French Fathers).
St. Elizabeth Church
In the 13th century, a Romanesque church stood on this site. In the 15th century, the church burned down and a new one was built, which was expanded in the 16th century.
Baguine Church
There were already Beguines in Grave by the end of the 13th century. In 1475, the Beguines received permission to build their own church in Grave.
The former Wijnberg Monastery
In 1859, the Brothers of Tilburg established the St. Henricus Institute for the Blind in Grave. The blind students received instruction and made baskets, brooms, and brushes.
Former St. Catherine's almshouse
In 1291, Jan van Cuyk founded a St. Catherine’s almshouse for “the sick and the destitute.” The exact location of the first almshouse in Grave is unknown.
Redemptorist Convent
The Redemptorist convent was built on the foundations of a castle. Sisters moved in during the mid-19th century.
Emmaus Monastery
The oldest Capuchin monastery in the Netherlands (1645) is a center for silence and mindfulness. Located in the quietest spot in the country, it features the most beautiful monastery garden in the Netherlands.
St. Vincent’s Church
St. Vincent’s Church is the oldest building; one of its walls dates back to the Middle Ages. The church no longer serves a religious purpose.
Saint Vincent and Anthony of Padua Church
At the beginning of the 20th century, Saint Vincent’s Church had become too small. A new parish church was therefore built in a more central location near Mariëndaal and completed in 1937.
De Kuilen Nature Reserve
The Langenboom Woods and De Kuilen are located in the Land van Cuijk municipality. Since 2000, the area has been managed by Natuurmonumenten.
Tongelaar Castle
At the historic Tongelaar Estate, visitors can go for walks, bike rides, stay overnight, get married, host parties, hold meetings, and enjoy a meal.
Hotel Restaurant Van der Valk Cuijk-Nijmegen
At Hotel Restaurant Van der Valk Cuijk-Nijmegen, you will enjoy delicious Burgundian food and drink in unique green surroundings. Unwind in our spacious and comfortable hotel rooms or luxury suites at Van der Valk Hotel Cuijk-Nijmegen.
Mariakapel Cuijk
In the 1950s, the Brothers of Tilburg had a simple little Marian chapel built in what was then still a rural area at the start of the road from Cuijk to Overhage.
Martinus Church Cuijk
The Martinus Church in Cuijk is a Neo-Gothic church built in 1913. Its two tall towers are visible from afar. At the rear of the church stands the late-Medieval bell tower of its predecessor.
Klostergarten des Klosters St. Agatha
In der Nähe der Maas, inmitten von Feldern, liegt im äußersten Osten der Provinz Nordbrabant das Kloster St. Agatha. Die Kapelle erhebt sich aus der Landschaft, geschützt durch einen Deich.
St. Agatha Convent
A convent of the past, present and future. St. Agatha Convent is the oldest convent in the Netherlands still to be inhabited. As you approach the village of St. Agatha, the convent can be seen from far and wide. It has been inhabited co
Kloosterlaan 245435 XD Sint Agatha
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