Holiday apartments in Loon Op Zand between the dunes and Efteling

The Loonse en Drunense Duinen combine vast sandy areas, gently rolling dunes and forests. They are among the largest inland drift-sand areas in Western Europe; 270 hectares of drift sand still remain there. The landscape is also known as the “Brabant Sahara”. Hiking, cycling and horse riding are possible in the dunes. Quiet forest paths and open sand drifts run through the varied landscape, where visitors can hike and cycle.

Nature

Huis ter Heide comprises forests, heathland and fens. There are 24 man-made fens, which provide valuable habitats for amphibians and birds. Visitors can use observation towers and a boardwalk. The area lies between Loon op Zand and De Moer and offers hiking trails through a water-rich bird habitat with Scottish Highland cattle. The hiking trails in Huis ter Heide are between 4.5 and 8 kilometres long.

Landgoed Plantloon is one of the varied landscapes within the municipality of Loon op Zand.

Leisure and family experiences

The Efteling theme park is located in Kaatsheuvel. It is open year-round and offers more than 30 attractions; the range includes dozens of attractions, roller coasters and park shows. Efteling can be reached via the A59 and A65; from the N261, the route to the park is signposted.

Kaatsheuvel is also home to the Spreekwoordenroute, an active family trail with entertaining and educational tasks. Experience Island offers activities such as quad biking, 4x4 routes, motorcycling, RIB rides, jet skiing and team building.

Natuurpoort Van Loon offers, among other things, full-day horse rides with a picnic, workshops and family days in natural surroundings. Natuurpoort also has a playground, café and terrace. From there, visitors can access the surrounding nature on foot, on horseback, by bicycle or by mountain bike.

Culture and history

Het Witte Kasteel in Loon op Zand is a historic estate and Rijksmonument. Its history dates back to the 14th century; volunteers offer historical tours of the castle and its gardens.

St. Jans Onthoofding is a distinctive church in Loon op Zand and dates from around 1400. The present Sint-Jans Onthoofding church was founded in 1392 or 1394. Its interior contains numerous items of art-historical significance. The old church site at Kerkenakker has been documented since 1233; archaeological investigations indicate that a church most probably already stood there around 1150.

In De Moer, the H. Joachim church and vicarage complex is of cultural-historical, architectural-historical and ensemble significance. In Kaatsheuvel, Molen De Couwenberg is one of the notable Rijksmonumenten.

Villages and routes

The municipality of Loon op Zand comprises the three church villages Loon Op Zand, Kaatsheuvel and De Moer, each with its own character. The village centres have cafés, restaurants and shops selling regional products.

The municipality has designated routes for mountain bikers, horse riders and carriage drivers. Twelve varied cycling routes run through the area around Kaatsheuvel, Loon op Zand and De Moer.

For the broader travel overview: North Brabant.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Waalwijk, Laarbeek, Veldhoven, Bladel, Helmond.