Cycling loop Megen | Brabants Kloosterpad
Cycle from Megen along the banks of the Maas to Grave and through Herperduin and back.
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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.
On this 54-km cycle loop, you follow the meandering Maas to the charming village of Grave. The route then takes you through Herperduin Nature Reserve and back to Megen where the historic Gevangentoren (gate tower) is visible from afar. Don’t forget to cycle around Megen.
In the past, metres-thick walls were built for various reasons, such as to protect a city or village against attacks from outside. This was the case in Megen, the start and end point of this cycle route. The only remnant of that old brick work is the Gevangentoren with its striking stepped gable.
A sea of calm
But thick walls also ser…
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.
On this 54-km cycle loop, you follow the meandering Maas to the charming village of Grave. The route then takes you through Herperduin Nature Reserve and back to Megen where the historic Gevangentoren (gate tower) is visible from afar. Don’t forget to cycle around Megen.
In the past, metres-thick walls were built for various reasons, such as to protect a city or village against attacks from outside. This was the case in Megen, the start and end point of this cycle route. The only remnant of that old brick work is the Gevangentoren with its striking stepped gable.
A sea of calm
But thick walls also serve other purposes, such as to block out noise. The monasteries and churches you encounter on the route are excellent examples. When you step inside them, you find yourself in a sea of calm, with no distractions from outside and complete focus on the here and now. That is also the case in the countryside you pass through along the route. When cycling here, that is what it is all about. Anything else can wait for the time being.
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
Skip map elementsLocations on this route
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.
Acropolis
In Megen lies the beautifully renovated Acropolis. It is a special location where you can hold various parties, weddings, meetings, receptions, and workshops. On the beautiful square, there is a cozy terrace from April to September.
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 has the oldest church tower (11th century) in North Brabant. The tower is made of tuff stone, a material that was transported from hundreds of kilometers away: it was only in 2011 that the tower was first restored.
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.
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.
Redemptorist Convent
The Redemptorist convent was built on the foundations of a castle. Sisters moved in during the mid-19th century.
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.
Herperduin Nature Reserve
Herperduin Nature Reserve forms part of the larger De Maashorst nature area.
St. Anne’s Chapel in Koolwijk
A historic chapel dedicated to St. Anne, located in Koolwijk, in the municipality of Oss.
Monastery Bethlehem Haren
In 1506, two Beguines founded a convent in their parents' house, which they named Bethlehem. The chapel was built in 1520.
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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