Fine, varied bike ride through western Brabant
This route through the Brabant countryside is characterized by an alternation of low-lying meadows with reed beds, also called say, and the beautiful forests around Rucphen.
The tour has a starting point near Zegge, just above the A58, which is crossed several times on this tour. Via Breda International Airport we then cycle in a southerly direction through the municipality of Rucphen, until a few kilometers further on we arrive in the village of Schijf, a nice stopping place with a number of places of interest, including the Dennenbos hunting lodge, designed by the Belgian architect Max Winders, worth a visit. The route continues in part through the Rucphen woods, a vast nature reserve with lots of Scots pine, Douglas fir and larch. The pine forests are interspersed with agricultural areas, drifting sand and heathland and some remarkable remnants of a number of old wooded banks. After a brief jaunt across the Belgian border at the village of Horendonk, the route continues to Roosendaal, a town with a long history, due in part to its strategic location and connection between the west of the Netherlands and Belgium. Naturally, many sights, including many churches, are part of the attraction of this city. Examples include the Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succession and Mariadal, the beautiful Franciscan convent. Busy are also the colorful weekly markets on Saturdays and Mondays. After more than 44 kilometers, the stage ends again in Zegge, where the Holy Mary's Message Church can serve as a final attraction.