Cycling loop Aarle-Rixtel | Brabant Monastery Trail
Cycle a loop from the Missionary Convent of the Holy Blood on pilgrimage to the Procession Park in Handel.
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This 47-km cycle loop takes you on a true pilgrimage to the Procession Park in Handel. Along the way, you pass various chapels and enjoy the natural surroundings, for example at the Stippelberg Estate Nature Reserve. The route then takes you back to where you started – the impressive Missionary Convent of the Holy Blood.
Think before you act. Then again, there is plenty of opportunity to reflect along this cycle route, too. Think of it as a true pilgrimage. Instead of going to Santiago de Compostela, you travel to Handel, home to a remarkable Church of Our Lady. The rare statue of Mary that gives the church its name dates from the 13th century and still attracts many visitors. It stands in a beautiful chapel inside the church.
Modern pilgrimage
You do not have to have a religious p…
This 47-km cycle loop takes you on a true pilgrimage to the Procession Park in Handel. Along the way, you pass various chapels and enjoy the natural surroundings, for example at the Stippelberg Estate Nature Reserve. The route then takes you back to where you started – the impressive Missionary Convent of the Holy Blood.
Think before you act. Then again, there is plenty of opportunity to reflect along this cycle route, too. Think of it as a true pilgrimage. Instead of going to Santiago de Compostela, you travel to Handel, home to a remarkable Church of Our Lady. The rare statue of Mary that gives the church its name dates from the 13th century and still attracts many visitors. It stands in a beautiful chapel inside the church.
Modern pilgrimage
You do not have to have a religious purpose to cycle to a pilgrimage site. It can help you mark the end of a chapter of your life, work towards a goal, enjoy the natural surroundings, or simply take time to reflect. The chapels you will encounter on the route can help with that. As you cycle, ask yourself: What gives me energy? Before you know it, you will arrive home with a head full of new ideas and exciting plans.
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
Missionary Convent Heilig Bloed
Among the fields northeast of Aarle-Rixtel lies Missionary Convent Heilig Bloed (holy blood).
Kloosterdreef 75735 SJ Aarle Rixtel
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Former Nazareth convent of the Franciscan Sisters of Oirschot
In 1848 the Franciscan Sisters of Oirschot moved into Borret House, the mansion to the right of the convent.
Kasteel Gemert
This large castle complex, complete with gardens and castle farms has had an eventful history. It was built by a very powerful religious order of knights that had amassed possessions across Europe.
St George's Chapel
The Brabant guilds have strong ties with the Catholic faith, and many guilds in the De Peel region have their own chapel for their patron saint.
Gerlachus van den Elsen roadside chapel
The Gerlachus van den Elsen roadside chapel is part of the Boerenbond Museum (farmers’ union museum). This Farmers' Museum shows the region’s farm life from around 1900.
Esdonk Chapel
The small chapel of Mary Magdalene is first mentioned in the 16th century. In 1695, the chapel was purchased by the steward of the Teutonic Order (a religious military order), and the current chapel was built.
Procession Park
Behind the church, surrounding the "holy well," lies the Procession Park. It was laid out in 1908. It features neo-Gothic chapels depicting the Mysteries of the Rosary.
Church of the Assumption of Our Lady
Handel is the oldest Marian pilgrimage site in North Brabant. A miracle occurred in this region in 1220, in what was then still wild and desolate heathland.
Capuchin Monastery
Right next to Huize Padua stands yet another enormous monastery. This former Capuchin monastery was founded on the initiative of the rector of the Penitent Brothers of Huize Padua. Construction took place from 1848 to 1852.
Huize Padua / De Kluis Museum
In the mid-18th century, a small group of religious brothers moved to Boekel. Their new home became known as Huize Padua, popularly referred to as De Kluis.
Natuurgebied Landgoed Stippelberg | De Rips
Stippelberg is a young forest on a millennia-old subsoil that has profoundly influenced the history of the Peel.
Missionary Convent Heilig Bloed
Among the fields northeast of Aarle-Rixtel lies Missionary Convent Heilig Bloed (holy blood).
Kloosterdreef 75735 SJ Aarle Rixtel
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Route features
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