Holiday apartment in Helenaveen: Moorland, paths and history

Helenaveen combines a protected village landscape with the history of peat extraction and the remains of the raised bog landscape around Deurnese Peel and Mariapeel. A large part of the village centre has been designated by the Dutch state as a protected village landscape. Helenaveen is considered the oldest example of planned private peat extraction in the southern Netherlands.

Holiday apartment in Helenaveen between village history and moorland

In 1853, Helena Panis’ husband Jan van de Griendt and his brother Nicolaas bought 610 hectares of raised bog in Helenaveen for peat extraction. The three-pronged system was used for this extraction. Three small canals, known as wijken or wieken, flowed into a side canal running parallel to the Helenavaart, which was directly connected to the main canal. This made it possible to transport the peat used as fuel by ship.

The Protestant church in Helenaveen is a hall church and forms part of a church complex. Along the Helenavaart, nine large, monumental farmsteads were built between 1908 and 1920; these are known as koningshoeven. They were built by the Maatschappij Helenaveen. On the outskirts of Helenaveen, the site where the Gouden Helm was found is marked by a special monument created by the artist Joep Coppens from Vlierden. The artwork is located at the corner of Oude Peelstraat and Centurioweg.

The Mijmerplek Helenaveen is located where a koningshoeve once stood. It includes a former house pit that has been excavated again, a restored orchard with fruit trees and a walnut tree, an information board, a bench, and a work of art.

Hiking, cycling and landscape around Helenaveen

Deurnese Peel and Mariapeel preserve remnants of the once extensive raised bog landscape around the former peat colonies of Griendtsveen and Helenaveen. Together, they form a special natural area for hiking. The Deurnese- en Mariapeel hiking route is 7.7 kilometres long and starts at the Mariapeel car park at Koolweg 36a in Helenaveen.

For another way to explore the area, the Gedichtenroute Helenaveen-Neerkant starts in Helenaveen, leads through the countryside around Helenaveen to Neerkant, and then returns to Helenaveen. Along the way, there are poems at four locations. The Death Valley De Peel cycling route passes through Deurnese Peel and Mariapeel as well as Griendtsveen, Helenaveen, and Neerkant, and is connected with 75 years of liberation.

From Peeltroef Helenaveen, there is a view of the new landscape that emerged after agricultural use ended. Peeltroef is one of the special places in and around De Peel that together tell the history of De Peel, focusing on peat, war, and raised bog.

Other places in the surrounding area

If you would like to combine Helenaveen with nearby destinations, you can find Neerkant, Liessel and Deurne here.

To the overarching travel overview: Deurne.