Cycling stage 10: Roosendaal – Oosterhout | Brabant Monastery Trail
Cycle from Roosendaal via Breda to the Holy Triangle in Oosterhout.
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This 65-km cycling stage takes you past some of Brabant’s most distinctive religious sites. You can see the impressive basilica in Oudenbosch from afar, while the Walloon Church and the Beguinage are tucked away in Breda’s city centre. Cycle through a beautiful landscape shaped by peat extraction, steeped in history but today largely resembling natural countryside. End your route in the remarkable Holy Triangle in Oosterhout.
Human history can be read in the many buildings and landscapes along this cycling route. Take Mariadal Convent in Roosendaal, for example, a delight for lovers of classical architecture. Here, you can see motifs from the Delft School and Expressionism, alongside beautiful stained glass, an extensive convent garden and spectacular vistas.
Charming and impressive
The Oudenbosch Basilica and Walloon Church in…
This 65-km cycling stage takes you past some of Brabant’s most distinctive religious sites. You can see the impressive basilica in Oudenbosch from afar, while the Walloon Church and the Beguinage are tucked away in Breda’s city centre. Cycle through a beautiful landscape shaped by peat extraction, steeped in history but today largely resembling natural countryside. End your route in the remarkable Holy Triangle in Oosterhout.
Human history can be read in the many buildings and landscapes along this cycling route. Take Mariadal Convent in Roosendaal, for example, a delight for lovers of classical architecture. Here, you can see motifs from the Delft School and Expressionism, alongside beautiful stained glass, an extensive convent garden and spectacular vistas.
Charming and impressive
The Oudenbosch Basilica and Walloon Church in Breda are also distinctive landmarks. In religious terms, they were once polar opposites. The basilica, completed in 1880, can be seen from afar. It is a product of theoutward-looking Catholic Church during the period known as ‘The Rich Roman-Catholic Life’. The Walloon Church, by contrast, is simple and serene. This charming building had to be surrendered to Protestant rebels in 1590. The struggle for Breda is also remembered at the Lage Vuchtpolder: a man-made nature area that formed part of Breda’s defensive lines. Today, it provides a haven for wildlife, including meadow birds that happily nest here.
Another example of human intervention is peat extraction. In the past, peat was used as fuel for stoves, and that peat extraction left its mark on the landscape. In fact, it has given rise to some beautiful nature reserves, such as De Beemden near Etten-Leur. The Liesbos near Breda, meanwhile, was a hunting ground for the Counts of Nassau for centuries (later the House of Orange-Nassau). And what about a collaboration between people and animals? You will find an example at De Driehoek dairy farm, on the grounds of Saint Paul’s Abbey in Oosterhout, in the heart of the Holy Triangle. Three monasteries so close together. It is, and remains, a remarkable place – shaped by people, yet set in peaceful, green surroundings. The best of both worlds.
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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Napoleon Chapel
This church building for the Protestant Community in Oudenbosch was constructed in 1819.
Oudenbosch Basilica
‘You don’t know whether you're in the Netherlands or in Rome. Truly impressive,’ declared one surprised visitor to Oudenbosch Basilica.
Saint Anna Oudenbosch
The convent was founded in 1837 by Willem Hellemons, the parish priest of Oudenbosch, for the Franciscans, a sisterhood from Roosendaal.
De Menmoerhoeve
At De Menmoerhoeve campsite, restaurant and activity farm, you can enjoy everything the countryside has to offer. If there’s anywhere you can literally immerse yourself in the Brabant farming life, it’s at this recreational farm.
Lambertus Church Etten-Leur
Vincent van Gogh made various sketches and drawings which show the Lambertus Church.
Hotel Restaurant ‘t Witte Paard
With the intimate hospitality of a family hotel, the Herberg & Wijnwinkel ’t Witte Paard (White Horse Inn & Wine Shop) in Etten-Leur offers everything that lovers of the good things in life will appreciate.
Trouwkerkje / Wedding Church Etten-Leur
The Dutch Reformed Church in Leur (Etten-Leur North) dates from 1614 and is a national monument.
The Liesbos
The Liesbos is the green lung between Breda and Etten-Leur. Covering approximately 200 hectares, the Liesbos is one of the oldest forests in the southern Netherlands and is the largest old-growth pedunculate oak forest in the country.
Begijnhof
An oasis of calm in Breda’s city centre, the Beguinage still exudes the atmosphere of centuries ago.
BAAI Breda
There is a beautiful terrace alongside the water at the location where the Mark river enters Breda. BAAI is the place to enjoy delicious wines and many various Breda beers. But what is most striking is how you immediately experience that wonderful holiday feeling here.
Vrachelse Heide
The Vrachelse Heide is a former heathland and drifting sand area in the municipality of Oosterhout. It is located southwest of Oosterhout between the Zandwinplas and the Warandeplas.
Sint-Catharinadal
Since 1647, the Norbertine Sisters of the Sint-Catharinadal Priory have lived continuously at the De Blauwe Camer Manor.
Abbey of Our Lady
The Abbey of Our Lady in Oosterhout is part of the Holy Triangle, an area that has three adjacent monastery complexes at its core.
St. Paul’s Abbey
The history of this monastery of the “French Fathers” dates back to 1901. That year, a law was enacted in France that imposed severe restrictions on certain French monastic orders. As a result, a number of monastic orders left France.
The Holy Triangle
The Holy Triangle consists of a contiguous area centered around three adjacent monastery complexes: St. Catherine’s Valley, the Abbey of Our Lady, and St. Paul’s Abbey.
Kloosterdreef4901 PH Oosterhout
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