Maashorst and Hidden Raam Valley
Cycling in beautiful nature reserves with vast forests, blooming heathlands, hidden fens, and open plains.
The Landscape
The Maashorst, covering an impressive area of over 3,500 hectares, is the largest continuous nature reserve in North Brabant. This area is a living museum of natural processes and landscape development, where ancient features like horsts and grabens form the foundation of the varied terrain. Expansive forests, interspersed with blooming heathlands and shifting sand dunes, create a unique ecosystem where open plains, hidden ponds, and gently flowing streams provide a habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna. A special part of the Maashorst is the 'primeval area', where animals like European bison, Tauros cattle, and Exmoor ponies roam freely.
The Hidden Raam Valley stands out for its varied and historic landscape, characterized by waterways, lakes, ponds, flower-rich meadows, castles, and estates. At the heart of the landscape flows the Raam, a peaceful river that runs like a blue vein through the area, forming an important connection between nature and culture.
Forests and Heaths
Estates and Heritage
Polders and Farmlands
Rivers and Streams
Cycle with us through past and present
Cycling stories about grazing giants, a moving earth, and ancient princely tombs
This video tells the story of the Maashorst, which, together with the Hidden Raam Valley, forms one of the most fascinating landscapes in the Netherlands. This area bears the marks of millions of years of geological history, is home to rare natural phenomena and unique archaeological discoveries, and harbours a vibrant ecosystem where ancient animal species have once again found their place.
👉 Tip: Turn on the subtitles in the YouTube video to follow the full story.
Route map
Start and finish at bike node 17 on the Schaijkseweg in Herpen. However, this bike route is a circular tour, so it offers the possibility to start from any of the following bike nodes.
17 - 23 - 34 - 29 - 33 - 44 - 68 - 69 - 53 - 81 - 54 - 55 - 56 - 93 - 40 - 94 - 95 - 62 - 60 - 63 - 57 - 22 - 21 - 36 - 29 - 81 - 5 - 28 - 30 - 27 - 59 - 60 - 17
- 91% of the route runs on paved roads.
- 9% of the route runs on unpaved and semi-paved paths.
