Holiday apartment in Liessel – between forest, mill and history

Liessel combines historical discoveries, distinctive forest landscapes, and varied routes. Exploring Liessel allows you to combine the mill, town centre, Liessel Forest, and historic routes as different destinations for a day out.

Historical traces in Liessel

The “De Volksvriend” windmill was built in 1903 on the instructions of P.A.F. Gitzels and is operated by volunteer millers. Next to the mill is the baker’s house, which was rebuilt in its original condition in 1988 on the guild’s orders.

The Sint Willibrorduskerk Liessel also adds a cultural accent: its stained-glass windows were created by Pieter Wiegersma. The war memorial offers a different perspective on history. It takes the form of a curved colonnade and was designed by Liessel architect Laurens de Jonge. The church and the memorial therefore provide different visual focal points: colourful windows on the one hand and a curved colonnade on the other.

Forest landscape and distinctive landforms

Liessel Forest is considered a typical Brabant forest. The Oude Aa River flows through it, while the course of the Peel Fault is clearly visible there. In Liessel Forest, the watercourse and landform are therefore located within the same forest area.

The Galgenberg clearing is also located in Liessel Forest. In the past, it was associated with the hanging of convicted people from a gallows as a deterrent and warning example. The association with executions explicitly belongs to the past.

Walking and cycling routes for different days

The historic walking route through Liessel is approximately 5 kilometres long and leads through the town centre. It follows signs with a white arrow on a yellow background. At around five kilometres, the town-centre loop remains manageable in length; the white arrows on a yellow background provide a clear visual indication of the route. At around five kilometres, the town-centre loop is significantly shorter than the cycle tour to the historic monuments.

Those who want to explore Liessel by bike will find several routes with different characteristics. The De Liesselse Bossen mountain-bike route is classified as a blue route of medium difficulty and leads through the Liesselse Bossen forest area. The cycle tour to Liessel’s historic monuments, by contrast, is approximately 35 kilometres long and passes the centre of Liessel. Among other sights, it includes the mill, the old baker’s house, the beer house, and the former vicarage. At around 35 kilometres, this cycle tour is significantly longer than the historic walking route through the town centre. In Liessel, the choice of cycling route therefore depends on whether you prefer the forest area or historic sites.

The “De Peel” / Jarno Bakker Bikes & Repair bicycle rental service rents out city bikes, electric bikes, mountain bikes, bike steppers, and racing bikes. Another distinctive tradition is the bread blessing, celebrated in Liessel by the Sint Hubertusgilde on 3 November. The bread blessing also adds a religious date to the town’s annual calendar on 3 November.

Other places in this travel overview: Helenaveen, Deurne and Neerkant.

To the overarching travel overview: Deurne.