Wild grazers in the Maashorst

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15.4 km
57 m
03h04
Medium

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Route information

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Last verified: 15 May 2025
Azure

Description by the author

During this walk we will not only see wild grazers, but we will also see many moors. Especially when the heath is in bloom, the Maashorst is a true paradise. Along the way there are also many picnic options.

The walk starts from a spacious parking lot. We walk past the Nature Center Slabroek where information about the area is available. Children can discover and play in the large outdoor playground. There is also a catering facility.

After the Nature Center we walk on a wide sandy path into the nature reserve. At the 1km point we see a Prince's Grave. The Vorstengraf is a burial mound from the early Dutch Iron Age. There is also an information board here. We walk further and after about 1.5km we enter the first large heathland of the Maashorst. We stroll through the moors and the beautiful pictures and viewpoints are countless. At the 4km point there is a nice bench to enjoy the view.

We walk a little further through the moors and a little later dive into the forest area where we are on our way to a second, slightly smaller heathland. Just after the 5km point we catch a glimpse of the beautiful rough heathland with lots of loose sand. 500 meters further we walk on a winding path along a bench with beautiful views over this second heathland.

We walk further and pass a large pit that sometimes contains water. If you do not find wild grazers here, you will probably see from the tracks that they were there not so long ago.

A little later we follow the cycle path for a while to quickly turn left where we see a large drinking well at the 6.5km point. Still haven't seen any grazers? Then that will probably happen during the next kilometer because then we walk along a meadow with beautiful views.

At the 7.5km point we walk into another forest area with pools and heathland. A little later we turn right at a picturesque spot with a bench and then there is a very good chance that we will occasionally spot a wild grazer in the bushes. The forest is becoming more and more open and the path is winding a bit more. When we walk out of the forest we turn right and we have beautiful views over the meadows again.

A little later, just after the 10km point we find a large picnic bench in the shape of a large M. The picnic area is fenced with a fence! So it's the other way around! We can sit quietly while the grazers stay at a distance!

We continue the walk on a cycle path, walk a bit along the fence of a meadow and see a piece of forest where the trees have fallen in a kind of domino. We meander further through the forest and at the 12.5km point we pass a similar picnic area as the big M. After this we walk into a large heathland again. Here too we stroll through which produces many beautiful pictures. On the right side we also see the sand dunes that are the result of the peel edge fracture. After a kilometer we walk out of the area and start the final. We meander along a pool with a bench, walk through the forest and at one point we even spot a gnome! Especially for families with children, a gnome walking route has been set out in this section. That also means that we are almost in the parking lot again!

Route origin

Route description

Region

Statistics

Difficulty level: Medium (63/100)

Length: 15.4 km

Duration: 03h04


Total ascent: 57 m

Maximal slope: 1.7 %

Average slope: 0.4 %

Net ascent: 0 m

Total descent: 57 m

Difficulty level according to the author: 5/10

Roads and subsoil

Paved roads: 9.13 km (59 %)

Cobblestones: 0 m (0 %)

Scenery

Car free roads: 14.9 km (97 %)

Noise pollution

Amount of traffic


Natural area

Urban area

Water rich area

Characteristics

    Themes

      Groups

        Start and end of the route

        Navigate to starting point

        Places of interest

        1. Slabroek Nature Centre

          0 · Centre nature education
          At the start and end point is Natuurcentrum Slabroek, Erenakkerstraat 5, 5388 SZ Nistelrode. The …
          Natuurmagazine Roots
        2. Tauros

          0 · Natural phenomena
          Ark Nature Development is proud of this: since time immemorial, wild cattle, bison and wild horse …
          Natuurmagazine Roots
        3. Kempen heath sheep

          0 · Natural phenomena
          Around the Kanonsberg, Kempen heath sheep are used as grazers. You can recognize these …
          Natuurmagazine Roots
        4. Maashorst

          0 · Bicycle route

          The Maashorst nature reserve consists of a number of different landscape types: coniferous forest, …

          haroldslegers
        5. Maashorst

          0 · Forest

          Maashorst Nature Reserve is a 2400-hectare more or less contiguous landscape park that extends …

          Wikipedia
        6. Amphibian

          0 · Natural phenomena
          Amphibians on the Red List Land consolidation, intensive agriculture, deterioration of water …
          Natuurmagazine Roots
        7. Ecoduct

          0 · Bridge
          Ecoduct Slabroek was opened in 2003 as compensation for the construction of the A50 motorway that …
          Natuurmagazine Roots

        Comments

        Activities

        Nearby

        Routes nearby

        Lodging nearby

        Services nearby

        Slabroek Nature Centre
        Tauros
        Kempen heath sheep
        Maashorst
        Maashorst
        Amphibian
        Ecoduct
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        PLUS
        200 m

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