Holiday apartment in Goirle: Nature, Culture and Special Experiences

Goirle combines protected heathland landscapes, regional history and unusual experiences.

Landscape between heathland, ponds and forests

Regte Heide & Riels Laag is a European-protected Natura 2000 site. In Regte Heide, dry and wet heathland alternate with heath ponds, scattered scrub and coniferous forests. Riels Laag complements this landscape with marshy depressions and deciduous forests. Dry heathland, heath ponds, marshy depressions and woodland form different landscape elements.

Regional history and notable buildings

Heemerf de Schutsboom is a regional history museum developed from an old farm. It is open from 5 April to 18 October 2026 on every first and third Sunday of the month from 14:00 to 16:30; visits are also possible by appointment. The fixed period from 14:00 to 16:30 comprises two and a half hours. The fixed Sunday opening hours provide a clear time frame for visiting the museum.

St. John’s Church is a Neo-Gothic church built in 1896 to a design by Jos Cuypers. It is also Goirle’s oldest parish church. Its interior is worth seeing because of the beautiful light entering through the stained-glass windows, as well as the many beautiful sculptures and paintings. Inside the church, the focus is on light, glass, sculptures and paintings.

De Wilde Mill is a round stone smock mill built in 1898 and is also a Rijksmonument, a national heritage monument. When its flag is flying, the mill is open to visitors; demonstrations and guided tours are possible. When the flag is flying, demonstrations and guided tours can be planned as part of a visit to the mill.

Walks and active days out

The Gorp en Roovert estate comprises a farm that is still in operation and a small castle dating from 1875. At this location, the farm and castle combine working agriculture with a 19th-century building. ‘t Bankven is located in the Gorp en Roovert nature area. The site has a long history as an ice-skating rink; competitions were already held there in the 1920s. The 1875 castle and the competitions of the 1920s belong to different periods. ‘t Bankven can be explored on foot and by bicycle. At ‘t Bankven, exploring on foot or by bicycle is combined with the history of a former ice-skating rink.

Molenpark offers walks and a visit to an animal pasture. For a more active outing, Klim en Avonturenbos in Goirle offers treetop climbing, a free fall from a height of 12 metres and zip lines.

Specific places for different types of holiday days

Nature-focused activities lead to heathland, depressions and woodland, while culture-oriented days lead to the museum, church and mill. Walks are part of the experience at Molenpark and ‘t Bankven, while Klim en Avonturenbos offers climbing, free fall and zip lines. The key question is which of these aspects should take up the most space during the holiday.

For a further comparison of locations, Riel can also be included in the travel plans.

For the overarching travel overview: Goirle.