Behind the Efteling door

From KP37 in Loon op Zand you first cycle along the Blauwe Meer. This was created by excavation of sandy soil for road construction. It owes its name to the clear blue water. Since the 70's it has been used for recreation, especially for surfing and swimming. Around 2010 Experience Island started. Especially in groups you can have a lot of fun here. Sports and adventure activities are organized and facilitated. Up to 20,000 people can come here.

Then we come to the T-junction, where we cycle towards De Moer, KP38. Here is Gedenkbos De Spinder. Relatives of a deceased person may set up their own memorial site here around the ashes of the loved one. Nature and remembrance come together here. A little further on is the Huis ter Heide Nature Cemetery. Here only nature is allowed to do its work; a durable wood disc with engraving is placed on the burial site. It is worth getting off your bike and taking a short walk through and over these special places. Then we arrive in De Moer, KP38. Our smallest village with about 650 inhabitants. The St. Joachim Church (1902) is the centerpiece. Built in the neo-Gothic style, the church is a national monument and will be withdrawn from worship in 2025. As it should be in Brabant, the café is across the street!

Then you head towards KP26 through the rural area of our municipality. You still cycle past a sand extraction area, where especially the birds have their fun. From KP24 we head towards Kaatsheuvel, our largest village with about 17,000 inhabitants. The village originated as a community of peat cutters, later - in the 20th century - especially the shoe industry was important. Everyone knows Kaatsheuvel from our Efteling. Who has NOT been there? The 'nature park' was founded in 1951 and currently receives almost 6 million visitors a year from home and abroad. The park has received many 'awards' as appreciation and we should be proud of that!

From KP53 we cycle behind the Efteling. We also pass Villa Pardoes, where families with a seriously ill child between the ages of 4-12 celebrate a very special vacation for free. Many volunteers from our municipality dedicate themselves structurally to this cause.

After KP11 we pick up our National Park the Loonse and Drunense Dunes. At KP32 you can rest and eat your sandwich or apple; with a beautiful view over the moors and dunes. The place is called the 'Leugenbaankske'. So... feel free to chat,... but don't believe everything! From KP32 we cycle towards Loon op Zand. Feel welcome and enjoy the beautiful church, the White Castle, the taverns and terraces!