Flinty bike ride through Brabant countryside

The start of the route is in Breda, the beautiful Burgundian city with a long, rich history. The Grand Place with the Church of Our Lady are major attractions. The route then heads north, past some church villages such as Ter Aalst and Den Hout and past Oosterhout, with an illustrious past dating back to the 80-year war. On the horizon we then see the contours of the Biesbosch, the delta where the Bergsche Maas and Merwede rivers meet. This region has often suffered from floods in the past, such as that of the Elizabeth Flood in 1421. The village of Drimmelen, on the border with the province of South Holland, is home to the Biesbosch Museum, whose fascinating history warrants a visit. The route continues along the Amer River, which later flows into the Hollands Diep. Beautiful Dutch skies form the backdrop on this part of the route. At Lage Zwaluwe we then head inland again, towards Blauwe Sluis, a hamlet which, to the delight of its few dozen residents, was allowed to keep its name several years ago. This region has a good number of monumental farms. We continued cycling along the beautiful meandering river Mark, which caused a stir in 1981 when Moby Dick the seal swam many kilometers upstream. Through the district of De Drie Hoefijzers, on the site of the former famous beer brewery, we reach, via the beautiful center of Breda, the end point.