The best road cycling routes in Somerensche Heide

Nice cycling through the forest on an asphalt road, without cars, wonderfully quiet

Holy Name of Jesus Church – Lierop The imposing Holy Name of Jesus Church in the center of Lierop was built between 1890 and 1892 based on a design by Carl Weber. The Neo-Romanesque cross-domed church, with its four towers and a dome over forty meters high, is visible from afar. Inside, you'll find beautiful stained-glass windows and period details from the time of its construction. It's a lovely starting point for a walk through the tranquil Brabant landscape.

simply beautiful, in all the changing seasons...

A quiet road that runs just along De Groote Peel.

A nice gravel path that's easy to walk, and you can see a bit of De Groote Peel from your bike. I have to say, back when it rained so much, a lot of it was flooded, and I thought it looked fantastic. Now it's dry, and even the grass in the meadows, or whatever they were, has been mowed.

It's a beautiful part of Helmond and a lovely nod to our city's industrial past: the crane track at the Cacaofabriek. The crane is no longer active. The track was installed along the canal in the late 1920s. At the time, the site was a coal and building materials business owned by Van Bussel. Later, in the mid-1930s, the crane was acquired by a transport and sand company: the Slits company. This company still owned it in 2009. Shipping For approximately eighty years, the crane track was used to load and unload goods from ships. From 1988 onwards, only trucks were loaded and unloaded. This went well until 2009. The Slits company wanted to demolish this unique structure and applied for a permit from the municipality. Why? "According to owner Dries Slits, there's no other option, because as a tenant of the site, he has to vacate the property by mid-July. The owner has sold his land to the municipality," we read in an article the ED newspaper wrote about it at the time. Protests Demolition wasn't easy, because the crane track had already been listed as a municipal monument in 2000. It's not surprising, then, that people protested the demolition. Among others, the Helmond Monuments Working Group filed an objection. In November 2009, the decision was made: the municipality purchased the crane track. Renovation When the municipality became the owner, there were no plans for the crane yet. Because, what on earth were they supposed to do with it? The industrial area was being cleared, and construction began on the current Cacaofabriek (Cocoa Factory). By then, the crane track would no longer be useful. Yet, Helmond refused to part with it. In fact, they decided to restore the crane to its former glory. There was some discussion about adding a teahouse in the cabin, but that plan fell through. The architect investigated the possibility and soon discovered that the track would have to be shortened. Ultimately, the decision was made to restore the crane track as much as possible to its original state. Did you know, by the way, that the cabin is no longer operational? This is because the motorized section wasn't repaired. The renovation took about two years: the crane was completed in 2014. Now it's back in style by the canal. (Source: https://indebuurt.nl/helmond/genieten-van-helmond/mysteries/helmonds-mysterie-waarom-de-kraanbaan-er-nog-ongebruikt-staat~62895)

Free swimming in this public lake that is also supervised by the volunteer lifeguards. Very busy in good weather.

Based on an inscription on this mill, it has often been claimed that it was built in 1506. Some sources indicate that a mill must have stood here as early as 1419. However, after extensive research, standard mill experts have determined that this mill dates back to the 18th century. Was this standard mill rebuilt in the 18th century as a successor to a much older mill? On May 17, 1771, Asten and the mill were struck by extreme weather, and the mill was overturned. In 1779, just eight years later, the mill was again severely damaged by the storm. The mill belonged to the Lords of Asten for a long time—until the middle of the 20th century. In 1953, the mill was sold to the Van Stekelenburg family. Major renovations were carried out in 1961. On the night of June 15-16, 1970, this mill fell victim to a fire, but remained standing, albeit severely damaged.