Operation Market Garden cycle route | Liberation Route Brabant
Discover places around Son en Breugel that tell the story of Operation Market Garden.
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Hear the hum of hundreds of planes and watch the thousands of falling parachutes. That's what the inhabitants around Son en Breugel experienced on 17 September 1944. Discover places that will tell you all about the heroic battle of Operation Market Garden, such as the Wings of Liberation museum. Read, hear and experience stories of sacrifice, but also of moments where the war could briefly be forgotten. And stories about bewildered Germans and the allied race against the clock to relieve their comrades.
Liberation Route Brabant
The Liberation Route Brabant tells the story of the liberation, but also shows what the Second World War was like for ordinary people who lived in Brabant at the time. Eight cycling routes, spread across North Brabant, lead you past the Brabant Remembers stories, the Liberation Route Europe audio columns, monuments and museums. Together they make the impact of the war on North Brabant clear, even all these years later.
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Signposting Liberation Route Brabant
Follow the signs marked ‘Liberation Route’. These are located below the regular junction signs.
Signposting Liberation Route Brabant
Follow the signs marked ‘Liberation Route’. These are located below the regular junction signs.
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Hotline routes
Hotline routesIf there is something wrong on the route, report it here.
from Brabant residents
Skip map elementsLocations on this route
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Museum Wings of Liberation
Museum Wings of Liberation
Follow in the footsteps of the 101st Airborne Division and relive the story that led to the liberation of the southern Netherlands. “Here you are reminded of a time that we should never forget,” one visitor said.
Sonseweg 39
5681 BH Best
Navigate to starting point
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41
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Hiding Place Farm Sonniuswijk
Hiding Place Farm Sonniuswijk
From September 18, 1944, the area around Son and Breugel became restless.
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Henkenshage Castle
Henkenshage Castle
During Operation Market Garden, the castle became General Taylor’s headquarters for the 101st Airborne Division.
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Castle Henkenshage
Castle Henkenshage
Although the small castle still shows some masonry from 1450, its current appearance is dominated by the quasi-medieval alterations made in 1850.
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Airborne Monument
Airborne Monument
This monument is located in the side wall of the former Sint-Oedenrode town hall. It was established in memory of the eleven paratroopers of the 101st Airborne Division who died during the liberation and defence of Sint-Oedenrode. The Airborne monument wa
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Monument to the Dutch
Monument to the Dutch
“Monument to the Dutch” is the only monument in the Netherlands that was donated by veterans of the 101st Airborne Division to the Dutch population in the liberated corridor.
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Koeveringse Mill
Koeveringse Mill
Many mills in the south of the Netherlands were heavily damaged or even destroyed by acts of war in September 1944.
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Spitfire Play Monument
Spitfire Play Monument
During the Second World War, the Schijndel airfield was located here.
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Village Départ
Village Départ
At the foot of Vlagheideberg you’ll encounter the Netherlands’ very first cycling village! It’s a unique cycling location and a hospitable spot where you can enjoy all things cycling all year round.
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Eerdse molen - Windmill
Eerdse molen - Windmill
The Eerdse Molen windmill was used by the Americans as an observation post. It was in a strategic position, which meant that the windmill frequently changed ‘users’.
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Former Landing Area Eerde
Former Landing Area Eerde
The Second World War is marked by brutal violence and bloodshed. Every now and then, there is a glimmer of hope for peace and happiness. Love keeps people going.
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De Vresselse Hut
De Vresselse Hut
The three routes that pass by bicycle café De Vresselse Hut make it a perfect stop off and/or lunch spot. De Vresselse Hut is also a recognised Brabant Nature Gate and thus part of a larger network.
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Joe Mann Monument
Joe Mann Monument
The monument consists of four concrete columns, crowned with a statue of a pelican on its nest, with chicks.
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Former Battlefield Forest Area Best
Former Battlefield Forest Area Best
On September 18 and 19, 1944, incredibly fierce fighting took place in these woods.
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Museum Wings of Liberation
Museum Wings of Liberation
Follow in the footsteps of the 101st Airborne Division and relive the story that led to the liberation of the southern Netherlands. “Here you are reminded of a time that we should never forget,” one visitor said.
Sonseweg 39
5681 BH Best
Navigate to endpoint
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Route features
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7 places to go in the Brabant countryside with children
Adventure is there for the taking in the Brabant countryside. Getting some exercise, playing and being outdoors means quality time with the whole family. Follow fun children’s routes and gnome paths together.
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From city to silence: a four-day cycling trip through North Brabant
Make sure your e-bike is fully charged and get ready for a four-day cycling holiday with plenty of delicious spots to take a break.
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A cultural city trip: Breda and surrounding area
Breda is a city filled with unique stories, some of which you will learn about during this two-day trip.
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From monastery gardens to drifting sand dunes: a 5-day motorhome road trip through the Van Gogh National Park
Hike and cycle through Van Gogh National Park on a 5-day east–west route. Discover nature, local flavours, and stories, with welcoming motorhome stops near monasteries, castles, woods, dunes, and lively Brabant towns.
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A long weekend of surprises in the heart of Brabant
Allow yourself three days to be amazed by a part of North Brabant between Tilburg and Esbeek, close to the Belgian border.
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7 times UNESCO in North Brabant
UNESCO is best known for the World Heritage List. But UNESCO also recognises heritage in other areas, which means you will encounter UNESCO sites also in North Brabant.
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Slow travel along the best parts of the Land van de Peel
A region where the heart beats to the unmistakable Brabant hospitality, individuality, and passion for enjoying life in a way that only the people of Brabant know how to do.
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Cycling in the footsteps of Philips and Van Gogh in Eindhoven
Anyone exploring North Brabant will sooner or later follow in the footsteps of local icons. These are sure to include the Philips brothers and Vincent van Gogh, the master painter.
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Cycling past the highlights of the Brabantse Wal
Sandwiched between Zeeland and the Belgian border lies the Brabantse Wal or Brabant Ridge – an area where the higher sandy ground merges into polders of marine clay soil. Let's explore this area by bicycle starting in the historic city, Bergen op Zoom.
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A weekend of Van Gogh and New Dutch
Innovative, persistent and just a bit of a rebel. Immerse yourself for a whole weekend in New Dutch in Eindhoven and cycle in the footsteps of Van Gogh to picturesque Nuenen.