Vennekespad (1999)

Through the Hart of Brabant: A 200km Walk in Search of Silence

End of July we had a busy and emotional time after my farther-in-law died. You are longing then for a nice run in the woods and to be alone. However, running was out of the question: I was already for monthes recovering from an injury at an Achillus tendon. Even a walk was a serious expirement ...
This "Vennekespath" walk passed our village quite close. I started very carefully. I always felt my tendon, but I was able to continue. And one walk even was 35km!
The tour surprised me with its connecting pathes of sand and with its offered treasure: lonelyness and silence. And of course with nice views of fens. This sommer of 1999 was quite hot and I was not a fast walker: I walked carefully, and even the sand slows your speed down, I made photographs, I had to circumvent the many spider's webs. On several occations the path went through blackberry or raspberry bushes. Hence my speed appeared to be not more than a little above 4km/h ... But I liked the tour very much.
For your information: the tour is well described in a book and quite properly marked. There are good bus and train connections to Eindhoven. The main difficulty is the crossing of the Dommel at the Hooidonk watermill, which is forbidden now. But a simple detour is possible along a silent route.
(Within breackets you see the walking distance and the additional one for making connections to and from a bus/railway stop.)

Son en Breugel - Hooidonkse Watermolen [5+5km]
This was just a starter, an appetizer: to see how the route was marked. It was a rainy day. I walked along the north side of the Wilhelmina Canal to the bridge between Breugel and Nederwetten and walked along the (new) cycle path to the Hooidonk watermill. There is also a chapel on the place of a former nunnery. A good place to rest, to read a book, to find shelter against the rain. From the garden you can have a nice view to the watermill.
Dommel at Vresselsche Akkers/Dommelrode, via Stad van Gerwen - Breugel. [8+5km]
I walked north of Breugel to the Dommel and than took the cycle path along the houses where you have nice views over the Dommel. I passed the church of Breugel and the statue of Pieter Breughel on my way to Hooidonk. Now I continued the track. The route through Heerendonk was one through bushes and high grown weeds. I got the idea that I was the first visitor since monthes ... I stopped when reaching the bridge over the Dommel north of Son and Breugel at Dommelrode. From here I could easily reach home, but you can also find a good busstop along the way between Son and Sint-Oedenrode (along the western parallel way).
Sint-Oedenrode, via Vresselsch Bosch - Dommelbeemden. [9+2km]
A surprise to me was that I could walk so nicely to Sint-Oedenrode (my grandpa, Evert Jan ter Maten, did here his military service) on pathes of sand. At the Dommelbridge of Dommelrode two painters allowed making a copy of their painting. Just after this you walk 5m high above the Dommel on an old river dune. The part through the Vresselsch Bosch is one I walked before myself: a good choice to include this in the tour. Near the Moerkuilen Fen pauchers were hiding in the maize and were shooting doves. Luckely they stopped when I passed them (they moved their caps downwards between their eyes). On the central market place in Sint-Oedenrode you find good bus connections to Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Boxtel.
Boxtel via Dommelbeemden (Olland) - Kasteren - Liempde - Viaduct A2. [14+5km]
The route quickly went along the Dommel. I met nobody on my way to the Olland area. This was a nice part of the route. Between Kasteren (lowest point of the route: 7m above sea level) and Liempde the route is along a noisy way. Liempde is a nice village to visit, but to my surprise we circumvented it on pathes of sand. I left the route just after crossing the Viaduct on the A2 and went to the Railway Station in Boxtel (there is no bus connection along this way; however, there is a bus connection between Liempde and Boxtel).
Oisterwijk, via Veldersbosch - Heerenbeek - De Mortelen - Kampina - Oisterwijkse Vennen (I). [17+7km]
First, I had to reach the A2 Viaduct again, but after that I had a nice tour through several different landscapes. Woods at Velderbosch and Heerendonk. Small areas with agriculture in De Mortelen (where I stopped for shelter against the rain). Moors at the Kampina (was dry and the sun returned for some hours). I stopped when rain started again at the Fens of Oisterwijk and left for the Railway Station.
Hilvarenbeek, via Oisterwijkse Vennen (II) - Ter Braakloop - De Brekxsche Hoven - Viaduct A58 - Kerkeindsche Heide - Wilhelminakanaal - Westerwijk - De Witte Duinen - Gorp. [27.5+6km]
This would become a hot sunny Sunday. On such a day the Fens of Oisterwijk are not silent. Many people like to walk here (or to cycle within groups ...). But the main part of this tour was silent and I met only a view people. When crossing the A58 I could see the towers of the La Trappe brewery. After a noisy walk along the A58, now larger woods started and the moors were shining red. The crossing of the Wilhelmina canal meant a detour: the bridge was in repair and impossible to cross. By good actions of the local people, a very old bridge ca 1.5km eastward was still operational [Thank you all! Otherwise I should have had to walk to Tilburg to find the nearest next bridge]. The final part was along a beautiful small brook: the Leije on Gorp, that showed nice meanders. I took the bus to Tilburg Railway Station in Hilvarenbeek.
Bladel, via Gorp - Rovert - De Utrecht - De Bockenreyder - Neterselse Heide - Netersel Hulsel. [31+4km] Walking to Gorp again, I met three walkers from Brielle who also did this Vennekespad walk. They lost their route near the "Witte Duinen" (where indeed the marking is very poorly). Together we walked along and admired the Leije at the Belgium-Dutch border. I left them at the Aalstheide. The next area, De Utrecht, still is a production wood area with nice high trees and long pathes. At the Bockenreyder restaurant I bought myself a nice enormous omelet (with everything that the bock likes). I still had to walk 1/3 of my tour to Bladel. The moor of the Neterselse Heide was how a moor should be: very red/purple and very, very hot. Especially when walking along its north border in the sun. At the end I was glad to be able to buy a cool beer in Netersel. Then it still was 6km to catch the bus in Bladel on the main road from Eindhoven to Reusel ... [The time schedule of the local bus Netersel-Bladel should not be trusted completely ...: ask Gerard Richter for some experiences].
As reward I saw a large bird of prey (but I do not know which kind).
Luyksgestel, via Het Vennenbos - Cartierheide - Dennenlucht - Postelse Heide. [22km]
This was a day with long, silent, walks through nice woods. I walked through many spider webs, through ferns, saw mushrooms. The Belgium border (Moll) was reached at Restaurant Dennenlucht (where live music was given). The next area contains the highest point of the whole tour: 41m - from now on I only had to descend. Near Luyksgestel I had to make a detour because of (stupid) shooting by some guild corporation: they planted a red flag and a message that a large strip around their private area was dangerous too ... At the end I was glad to enter some open area again.
Soerendonk, via De Aa - De Plateaux - België - Achterste Brug - Dommel - Borkel - Achelse Kluis - België - Beverbeekse Heide. [31.5km]
This walk was one of the highlights of the tour: many different landscapes or views were offered. Woods, spider webs, moors at the border with Belgium, a walk through blackberries, a nice walk along the Dommel river from Belgium to Borkel (at one place the river side was that bad that I nearly felt downwards into the water), agriculture, a land made by hard working monks at the monastery "Achelse Kluis" at the border with Belgium (now with its own beer!), and finally a sand drift near Soerendonk
Geldrop, via De Heide- Buulder Aa - Leende - Boschhoven - Witven (A2) - Groote Heide - A67 - Genoenhuis. [22km]
The landscape was nice, but: there was no silence due to the near main autoroutes A2 and A67. Look to the nice Buulder Aa and to the fine structure of the plants in the Drooge Meerven, but be aware that you are lucky when you hear no noise.
Reaching Geldrop, the marks along the path dissappeared due to the new city part of Genoenhuis. However, the railway station was easily reached (you simply can not miss it).
Son en Breugel, via Geldrop Castle - Kleine Dommel - Collse Watermolen - Eeneind - Opwettensche Watermolen - Eindhoven - Dommel - Hooidonk - Driehoek. [16+2km]
In Geldrop, before reaching the Castle, the route was poorly marked. The passage on the area of the St. Anna Hospital was found by surprise (and indeed here is a nice pergola). However, after the Castle things went rather well. The route along the Kleine Dommel is quite nice - especially the part north of the Eindhoven Canal to the Watermill at Coll (which you can visit on Saturday). Here silence returned. But not for long. Many roads are quite nearby. Also a railroad is not far away.
In Eeneind the St Anthonis Chapel was a nice remote intermezzo. However, then the route went along the Watermill of Opwetten (famous by Vincent van Gogh). Here silence was completely gone. I don't think that Vincent would like to paint here again.
But, north of Eindhoven the ultimate Dommel walk is offered: nice borders, good views, nobody, silence. I favour this part very much: one of the gems of the tour. It is a pity that the bridge at Hooidonk is forbidden to cross by the owner, due the its condition. In Austria you would still have been glad with such a bridge ...

My proposal for a detour:

Turn back from the Hooidonk bridge to the last path going west (ca 100m). Where this path turns to the left, continue the small path that goes farther west. After several bends this path brings you to a minor asphalt road. Here go north (right) to the end at the Wilhelmina Canal (ca 1km). [Going left 500m will bring you to the Son Bridge where you can find a busstop for the busses 156/157 to Eindhoven]. At the Canal turn to the right, to the bridge that is just south of Breugel (Halfway, the Dommel goes under the Canal). At the bridge turn right until you reach Hooidonk again (at a busstop). In total, the detour is 3km.
For additional remarks concerning Hooidonk see above.

The Booklet

The route is detailedly described in the following booklet in parts of ca 5km, each time accompanied with a map.

Title:	Vennekespad, Wandelroute Zuidoost-Brabant, Streekpad 5
ISBN:	90-70601-64-8
Publisher:	Nivon, Amsterdam
Price:	HFl. 31.50
Available:	Tourist Info Centre, Eindhoven Railway Station

There is also a marking in the field (mostly by using two stripes of paint: yellow/red). However, at some parts this last one is poor:

Map 1: Part along citypart "De Luytelaer".
Map 10: Entrance of Kampina (Balvoortster Weg: conflict with text).
Map 11: Logtsche Heide: Route to Nivon home "Morgenrood" ...
Map 15: Near the "Witte Duinen".
Map 17: Landgoed De Utrecht: part between Lage Mierdseweg and Restaurant De Bockenreijder.
Map 25: Route around Woeste Polderhoeve.
Map 28: Marks near Dommel, before and after Borkel.
Map 32: Marks near Witven, when leaving the A2.
Map 33: Marks in Meelakkers (just after leaving LAW 7-2).
Map 34: Route from A67 to Railway Station Geldrop.
Map 35: Part between Railway Station Geldrop to Castle Geldrop.

However, the combination of text+map+field marks makes it no problem to find your way. But do not rely on only one of them!

Some related links

Collse Watermolen (Dutch)
Report by Gerard en Nel Dammer (with different detour) (Dutch).
Report by Jeannette en Vincent (Dutch)
Hiking in The Netherlands
Overview Long Distance Pathes (LAW) (Dutch)
Wandelnet (Dutch)

Date of modification: 27-12-2001

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