Varied bicycle tour through the Peel

After starting in Merselo, an esdorp with a good number of monumental farms and the highest point in northern Limburg, the route turns north to Venray, an important urban center in this part of Limburg. Venray includes the Sint Petrus' Banden church and the beautiful polder mill of the same name. The first part of the route also passes through Overloon, well known for its large war museum, founded to commemorate the great tank battle in October 1944. The route runs largely through the Peel, with a good number of so-called reclamation villages, settlements that were established during the 1930s to bring some development and prosperity after many years of poverty St. Anthonis, de Rips and Milheeze are striking examples, the latter two in the Brabant section of the trail. Much new forest has also been planted in this area, part of the aforementioned reform plan. In Milheeze, recent excavations have found traces of settlements dating back 10,000 years. Laurentia corn mill is also an attraction here. Start and finish of this fascinating route are at the Martiene Plats farm, a beautiful location near the Weverslose mountain and the Loobeek valley, with beautiful nature, characterized by the presence of a striking number of alders, willows and birches.