Top 20 Natural Monuments around Moerdijk

Where nature is still something sustainable...

Hein Koreman did not make the statue as a war memorial, but exhibited his work for the purchase by Breda at the Keukenhof. At that exhibition in 1954 it won third prize. This statue evoked memories for many in Breda of May 1940, when the population fled from the approaching Germans. The statue was increasingly called The Flight and thus became a war memorial. It has stood in various places: Parkstraat (1955-1959), Ginnekenstraat (1959-1965), Police station Markendaalseweg (1965-1999), Breda. In the Ginnekenstraat it stood in front of the Maria Hemelvaartkerk until it was demolished in 1967. At the request of the Oranjecomité and the ‘Comité 4/5 mei‘ the statue was given a prominent role in 1999 at the commemoration of the dead on 4 May, when many flowers are laid at the monument. It was carefully restored by the artist's sons and reinstalled in Valkenberg Park in April 1999. The statue is timeless and still relevant. It shows the torn nature of people who have to leave the familiar behind. In addition to many refugees from war zones, there are also more and more people who have to leave their homes due to poverty, political reasons or climate change. This means that the statue can also be projected onto the current refugee flows in the world. In July 2021, Radio 4 announced a prize for the most beautiful outdoor artwork in the South of the Netherlands with the program 'De Ochtend van 4'. The artworks were submitted by listeners themselves and there were 12 nominees. For Breda, this was De Vlucht by Hein Koreman. There were 40,072 votes in total. De Vlucht finished in a creditable second place with 22% of the votes.

Along the Oostdijk between the Tonnekreek and Willemstad is 'De Wachter' a special work of art. De Wachter stands exactly on the spot where the storm surge on 1 February 1953 hit and flooded the Ruigenhilpolder. The work of art is an eight-metre-high hill, on which sheep can graze. The work of art De Wachter, by artist Marius Boender, was built along the Hollandsch Diep at the spot where the dike broke during the Flood Disaster in 1953. The reason for the monument was the completion of the dike reinforcement in 2001. The work of art is an eight-metre-high, pyramid-like clay hill, overgrown with grass. You can climb the work of art via a path that winds over the work of art. There is a good chance that you will do so in the company of grazing sheep. The creation of the work of art was a challenge, because factors such as weight (not too heavy), weather resistance (rain and wind) and construction (not subsidence under pressure from visitors) had to be taken into account. Source: https://www.visitmoerdijk.nl/nl/locaties/2645610321/de-wachter

The De Roode Weel wheel was created after a dike breach. It is located in a nature reserve that is part of the Cruijslandse Kreken. This area near the fortified town of Steenbergen is a true paradise for bird lovers. Because it is the domain of, among others, the marsh harrier, water rail, common snipe and little owl. They can be 'secretly' spotted from the birdwatching hut since the beginning of 2018. This architectural masterpiece is located at the bottom of the dike and offers a magnificent view of the Roode Weel. It is made of Accoya wood, just like the picnic jetty at De Blauwe Sluis. This creates unity between the various objects along the West Brabantse Waterlinie. Want to know more? Click through to https://www.zuiderwaterlinie.nl/vestingsteden/natuurgebieden/cruijslandse-kreken

Take a seat and discover the main characters in this water feature. Each season is colored differently. It's up to you to recognize the players. Information boards give tips and reveal external characteristics.

The monument 'The Flight' reminds the residents of Breda of the disastrous evacuation of May 1940, which left 114 victims. On Pentecost morning, May 12, 1940, tens of thousands of Breda residents had to evacuate by order of the mayor in connection with possible military confrontations between the Dutch and French troops on the one hand and the occupying forces on the other. The evacuation is known among survivors and in history books as 'The Flight'. People moved south via places such as Hoogstraaten, Zundert and Achtmaal. Many casualties occurred during this evacuation because those fleeing ended up in the line of fire. Some families were brutally confronted with the brutality of the war. This also applies to the Van der Linden family, who had to regret the loss of their mother and three children in one fell swoop. They were present in a school in Sint-Niklaas when this building was hit by a German direct hit during shelling. Of the family members present, only Cornelia survived the bombing; she was seriously injured. Until her death in 1985, she suffered both the mental and physical consequences. Typical of this woman was that she never spoke out about the disaster that happened to her and her family. That is why, according to her granddaughter, who lives in Breda, the following saying of Virgil applies: "Whatever happens, one can overcome any fate by bearing it calmly."

Park Valkenberg is the green oasis in the city center of Breda. A park with royal allure where, until the early nineteenth century, only the castle residents and their guests were welcome. Nowadays it is a wonderful meeting place. Students look for the sun or the shade of the centuries-old trees. Fathers and mothers let their offspring play in the playground while they sit on the terrace of the T-House. Even the geese feel at home there. Falconry The park owes its name to a falcon house that stood on the edge and from which the castle residents and their guests practiced falconry. Live music regularly plays in the park.

This Monument commemorates the 'Flight of Breda'. On May 12, 1940, the residents of Breda had to flee because Breda threatened to become a battlefield. The fighting between the Germans and the Dutch together with the French was at that time around Breda. 112 people died in the Breda flight. (Source: tracesofwar.nl)