Discover Handel: Pilgrimage, Chapels and Nature

Handel is a destination for travel plans that combine the Marian pilgrimage site, chapels and paths through nature. Handel is considered the oldest Marian pilgrimage site in Brabant. Around the church, Processiepark and Natuurcentrum De Specht, you can discover very different highlights: religious tradition, cultural history, marked hiking trails and a cycling route. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Handel, you can tailor your stay to the experiences you would like to enjoy together.

Pilgrimage and culture around the church

Processiepark is located behind the church around the holy spring and was established from 1908 onward. The park contains Neo-Gothic chapels depicting the mysteries of the rosary. A Way of the Cross with 14 stations also runs through Processiepark. After the church, the spring in Processiepark is considered the oldest cultural element of Handel’s pilgrimage site. The Ossenkapel was built in September 1890 to keep this legend alive.

The paths to Handel also continue this tradition. Keskesdejk is the route from Gemert to Handel. Along its course are eight small roadside chapels bearing the name Késkes. The groups of statues in the Keskes chapels depict the Seven Sorrows of Mary. The Handelse Processie is a 40-kilometre walking pilgrimage from Valkenswaard to Handel. In Handel, the participants in the Handelse Processie are welcomed by a small procession in which the Mariatroon is carried.

Short nature trails at Natuurcentrum De Specht

More than 200 plant species can be found in the area around Natuurcentrum De Specht. The educational centre of Natuurcentrum De Specht is open by appointment only; there is no unrestricted access. Several marked hiking trails, ranging from 0.8 to 3 kilometres in length, are available at Natuurcentrum De Specht.

The 3-kilometre Vogelkijkpad is marked in red and starts at Natuurcentrum De Specht. The 2-kilometre Waterroute is marked in blue and partly follows the Landmeersche Loop. The 0.8-kilometre Dierenroute passes the butterfly meadow at Natuurcentrum De Specht. This allows you to compare the trail lengths directly when planning your day.

A cycling route as an additional highlight

Handel can also be included in a themed tour by bicycle. Route A of the Kerken-en-Kapellen-Route starts at Onze Lieve Vrouw van Handel in Handel and is 38.0 kilometres long. The chapel theme thus provides a different focus from the marked hiking trails at Natuurcentrum De Specht. Anyone planning a holiday house or holiday apartment in Handel can choose between culture, nature, a cycling route and pilgrimage as different focal points. This links the choice of accommodation to the desired daily rhythm without reducing the destination to a single travel experience.

More destinations for your travel planning

For other destinations you would like to include in your travel plans, you can also include Bakel, Milheeze, De Mortel, Gemert, Elsendorp and De Rips.

Back to the main travel overview: Gemert-Bakel.