The best MTB trails around Vught

https://www.kasteelnemerlaer.nl/ Yes! Perhaps it's time to clear up a misunderstanding. This: Kasteel Nemerlaer is NOT a museum. It is also NOT a gallery. It is an ancient, historic building, which from the beginning we tried/are trying to furnish in such a way that it is interesting for ALL people. E.g. for people who love art and do/do not have expertise in it, there is "difficult" and also quite often more accessible art. For people who are not so much into the art scene, but are interested in other things in the castle: e.g. a lot about the construction and interior design. And photos of the castle through the centuries. Furthermore, nature objects/photos. Stories. And always children's activities. In short: a castle for everyone. We are happy to explain this now because sometimes a true art connoisseur comes with a remark like this: "Peculiar castle, but you should be a bit more uh... elitist in what you exhibit as art. There are beautiful things hanging and standing, yes, but not everything we see is uh... great art." And that is correct. We know that. It is a conscious choice, because, sorry: Kasteel Nemerlaer is not a museum and not a gallery. We love pleasant accessibility for EVERYONE! Visitors who understand this are always welcome in this people-friendly castle for castle-friendly people. Where we always try to have something for everyone.

Now a landscape park with asphalt for road cyclists, a challenging mountain bike trail and hiking paths

Bike and enjoy!

Beautiful old industrial railway bridge over the Dommel, Duits lijntje! Near Kasteren station. Cycle on towards Boxtel to under the A2 where you can see beautiful graffiti works👌

Nemerlaer Castle is situated on the edge of the Beerze stream valley, between Oisterwijk and Haaren. The castle is one of the oldest in North Brabant and was mentioned in historical sources as early as the 14th century. The name Nemerlaer supposedly refers to "no one's forest" or "no one's land," indicating that the area was once a free and undeveloped landscape. The original castle originated as a fortified house that served to protect the surrounding land and trade routes. Over the centuries, the building was expanded and modified several times. The current appearance of the castle, with its towers, moat, and surrounding park, is the result of various renovations, primarily in the 16th and 17th centuries. During the Eighty Years' War and subsequent conflicts, the castle was damaged but was repeatedly repaired. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the estate increasingly took on the character of a country estate with a park and avenues. Today, Nemerlaer Castle is a cultural and historical center that regularly hosts exhibitions, lectures, and cultural events. The estate surrounding the castle offers a peaceful walking area with mature trees, avenues, and views of the Beerze valley, bringing history and nature into close proximity.

The Groot Duijfhuis (Great Pigeon House) is located west of Liempde and is one of the best-preserved historic dovecotes in Brabant. The structure dates from the 17th century and was originally part of a large farm complex belonging to the Norbertines of Postel. The tower was used to keep pigeons for meat and manure, a valuable resource for the agricultural land in the Dommeldal valley. The square, brick tower stands on a slight elevation in the open landscape and is recognizable by its high hipped roof and the rows of entrances under the eaves. Inside are hundreds of stone nesting niches—typical of dovecotes from this period. The Groot Duijfhuis is a national monument and forms a striking landmark in the agricultural landscape between Liempde and the Mortelen region.

The Kampina marshes are part of an area that has been used for centuries as fenland, peat bog, and wet heathland. Where damp lowlands, fens, and marshy areas now lie, there used to be a continuous marshland—with peat moss, wet heathland, and willow thickets—that was part of a much larger raised bog and peat bog area. Over time, this type of landscape became rarer due to land reclamation, peat extraction, and agriculture, but part of it has been preserved in the Kampina. These marshes function as a buffer between the Kampina's dry forest and heathland and the surrounding wet stream and fen structures. The wet environment provides shelter for moisture-loving plants, dragonflies, amphibians, and waterfowl—and forms an important ecosystem within the area. Because the ground is often marshy and the water level fluctuates, nature has adapted here: you'll find typical marsh vegetation and transition zones where reeds, scrub, and wet grassland alternate. For hikers, the marshland is one of the most characteristic and authentic parts of the Kampina: you'll see the alternation between wet and dry, between peat, fen, and heathland, and experience the contrast with the surrounding lanes, fields, and dry areas. It demonstrates that the Kampina is not just heathland or forest, but also a historic marshland landscape with a long ecological and cultural history of its own.

beautiful route