Cycling stage 9: Klein-Zundert – Roosendaal | Brabant Monastery Trail
Cycle a loop from the Abbey of Our Lady of Refuge in Klein-Zundert to the former Mariadal Convent in Roosendaal.
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This 67-km cycling stage takes you past all the rich green landscapes of West Brabant. Starting at the Abbey of Our Lady of Refuge, you almost immediately head into the Rucphense Forests. A brief trip into Belgium takes you to the Brothers of Huijbergen, and you can experience the ‘Quiet Zone’ in Grenspark de Kalmthoutse Heide, a cross-border nature area. Continue the route through the Brabantse Wal or Brabant Ridge to the final destination, the former Mariadal Convent in the heart of the city of Roosendaal.
As a work camp for local unemployed people. This is how Our Lady of the Ascension…
This 67-km cycling stage takes you past all the rich green landscapes of West Brabant. Starting at the Abbey of Our Lady of Refuge, you almost immediately head into the Rucphense Forests. A brief trip into Belgium takes you to the Brothers of Huijbergen, and you can experience the ‘Quiet Zone’ in Grenspark de Kalmthoutse Heide, a cross-border nature area. Continue the route through the Brabantse Wal or Brabant Ridge to the final destination, the former Mariadal Convent in the heart of the city of Roosendaal.
As a work camp for local unemployed people. This is how Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey, known in Dutch as Volksabdij Onze Lieve Vrouw Ter Duinen, came into being around 1936. The name ‘Ter Duinen’, meaning ‘at the dunes’, refers to the gently undulating landscape surrounding the abbey. The abbey continued to play an important role in society, also in the years immediately after the Second World War. At that time, children of collaborators were taken in and cared for, while their mothers and fathers were behind bars.
Three-star Quiet Zone
Later, the Brothers of Huijbergen lived on this spot. Yet in Catholic Brabant, the name people’s abbey says something about the role such an initiative was intended to play. You can learn more about the Brothers of Huijbergen in the village that bears their name. ‘Together, making the Earth more liveable’ is a key phrase from their motto. How relevant is that today? Their words linger in your mind as you cycle through the three-star Quiet Zone of the Kalmthoutse Heide, with its remarkable variety of landscapes. Or when going along the Brabantse Wal, with its country estates, water and woodlands, and the core area of the Scheldt Delta UNESCO Global Geopark.
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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De Kieviet Trappist Brewery - Abbey of Our Lady of Refuge
Zundert is one of two towns in the Netherlands where genuine Trappist beer is brewed.
Rucphenseweg 384882 KC Zundert
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Herberg 't Pannehûske
This cosy and friendly forest café has been a household name in the region for almost a century and a half. With a playground and maze, not only is this a great resting place for cyclists and hikers but it is also an ideal place for the whole family.
De Moeren Nature Reserve
De Moeren Nature Reserve is west of Zundert. It has forests, meadows, agricultural fields, fens and pools.
Herberg In den Anker
If you are looking for a bit of nostalgia, ‘In den Anker’ is an authentic, charming pub where time seems to have stood still.
Chapel of Oratory
A chapel of oratory (veldkapel) offers passers-by the opportunity to take a moment for contemplation and prayer.
De Lange Maten Nature Reserve
At De Lange Maten, you can see the flock of Drenthe Heath Sheep kept by the Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments.
St Marie Monastery (Klooster Sainte Marie)
In the 1990s, the Brothers of Huijbergen relocated to a newbuild and much of the original property was sold.
The Brothers of Huijbergen
In 1852, the brothers moved into the former Hermits of Saint William Priory (Wilhelmietenpriorij) in Huijbergen.
Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey (Volksabdij O.L.V. Ter Duinen)
Our Lady of the Ascension Public Abbey was established as a youth labour camp, where education and care were also provided.
Grenspark Kalmthoutse Heide
Kalmthoutse Heide Border Park is a cross-border nature reserve that extends into Belgium, featuring heathland, ponds, shifting sand dunes, meadows, and forests. It is the area’s ecological and cultural-historical values that make it truly unique.
Het Markiezenhof
The Markiezenhof residential palace was built in the 15th century for the lords and marquises of Bergen op Zoom.
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