Holiday apartment in Netersel: heathland, history and trails

Netersel combines a peaceful heathland landscape with a local history that reveals traces of several eras. To the north of the village are changing lakes and heathland areas; churches, monuments and historical traces add to the picture.

Nature, cycling and hiking around Netersel

To the north of Netersel lies Neterselse Heide, a peaceful area with changing lakes and heathland areas. The Dak van Netersel mountain-bike route runs through a wooded landscape on and around a former landfill site. A stage of the long-distance Brabants Vennenpad hiking trail also runs around Netersel. The 7.9 km circular Ommetje Netersel walking route passes De Buntsteker, a bronze sculpture from 1994 depicting a person cutting tufted hair-grass. Historically, tufted hair-grass from Neterselse Heide was used for weaving baskets and beehives.

Churches and history in the village

The oldest settlement in the area around Netersel dates back to the Stone Age. A document from June 1219 is the first tangible evidence that Netersel existed. Netersel’s church was first mentioned in 1340, but is probably older. It originally served as a castle or manor chapel and belonged to a nearby tenant farm or castle.

The Oude Kerk in Netersel includes the remains of a moated house and Netersel’s old church. The RK church in Netersel is a simple brick church in the traditional style, with a square tower dating from 1950. The H.H. Antonius en St. Brigidakerk in Netersel contains a stone baptismal font from the 15th century and a wooden crucifix from the 15th century.

Another chapter recalls the period of the Second World War. The Monument voor ‘Geallieerde Vliegers’ commemorates the six crew members of Stirling BK703 of the 149th Squadron, who died when the bomber was shot down by a German night fighter on the night of 28–29 June 1943 and crashed near this location. The monument on Neterselse Heide consists of a boulder with a copper plaque. During the Second World War, Fons van der Heijden provided shelter on his farm in Netersel to many people in hiding and was an active link in the so-called Pilotenlijn, a route for downed Allied pilots, Engelandvaarders and prisoners of war who sought to reach England via Belgium, France and Spain.

Attractions in the surrounding area and the wider region

The area around Netersel is home to Kasteel Oud-Beysterveld, Duizelsbos, Panberg, Boswachterij De Kempen and Zandhoef. The wider region includes the Eindhoven Museum, the Van Abbe museum and the De Pont Museum for Contemporary Art.

Choose a holiday apartment in Netersel to suit your daily rhythm

Choosing a holiday apartment in Netersel can be tailored to your preferred daily rhythm: heathland, lakes, forest and trails provide opportunities for outdoor activities, while churches, monuments and historical sites offer different points of focus. The route lengths and various modes of transport provide a practical basis for combining shared days, longer hikes, cycling tours and cultural discoveries.

More places: Hoogeloon, Bladel, Hapert

To the higher-level travel overview: Bladel.