The Laarbeek trail - Stage 1 (of 5)
General information about the 5 stages of The Laarbeekpad
The Laarbeekpad is an approximately 75-kilometre multi-day hike across the territory of the municipality of Laarbeek Waterpoort van de Peel divided into five stages. The municipality is formed by four villages: Beek en Donk, Aarle-Rixtel, Lieshout and Mariahout. The multi-day hike goes through the centre of the municipality, on and along the outskirts. In stage two, the path goes a little way over the edge to avoid a loop in the Molenheide.
In the centre of the municipality, the trail follows brook the…
General information about the 5 stages of The Laarbeekpad
The Laarbeekpad is an approximately 75-kilometre multi-day hike across the territory of the municipality of Laarbeek Waterpoort van de Peel divided into five stages. The municipality is formed by four villages: Beek en Donk, Aarle-Rixtel, Lieshout and Mariahout. The multi-day hike goes through the centre of the municipality, on and along the outskirts. In stage two, the path goes a little way over the edge to avoid a loop in the Molenheide.
In the centre of the municipality, the trail follows brook the Goorloop several times and goes through the hamlet Het Laar, among other things this brook and hamlet Het Laar between the four villages has resulted in the name Laarbeek. The municipality, on the border of the Meierij and the Peel is what the term Waterpoort van de Peel already indicates a water-rich municipality with, within the municipality, the canals Zuid-Willemsvaart with a marina and the Wilhelmina Canal. Not only the canals but also brooks the Aa and the aforementioned Goorloop but also smaller streams such as the Schevelingse Loop, Heieindse Loop, the Ginderdoorse Loop and the Donkervoortse Loop flow through the municipality, furthermore water features and fens complete the term Waterpoort. So Laarbeek is a real water municipality. During the multi-day hike, one therefore passes bridges and small bridges several times. The term gateway to the Peel is derived from the fact that the municipality lies on the edge of the Peel.
The trail is divided into five stages with the starting and finishing points being the core of the towns with Beek en Donk being a twin village like Aarle-Rixtel with the difference that Beek en Donk has two cores, each with its own church building. A twin village is the designation of two villages originating close to each other with different names. The first stage starts in the core of Beek and the last the fifth stage starts on the Donk and then ends in the core of Beek. The core of Beek and the core of Donk are separated by a green strip containing a music garden. Since 2003, the new town hall of the municipality of Laarbeek, which was newly formed in 1997, has stood in this strip.
PLEASE NOTE:
A large part of this hike is unpaved!
This route is not suitable for wheelchairs or prams.
Courtesy of: klikprintenwandel.nl
Sights on this route
Starting point
Startpunt
Kerkstraat 1
5741 GK Beek En Donk
Navigate to starting point
End point
Eindpunt
Dorpsstraat 5
5735 EA Aarle-Rixtel
Navigate to endpoint
Directions
Reference is made to route posts at various points. The entries are intended only as additional landmarks.
1.
At the 3-junction before the church and with your back to the entrance of the church leave RA, then at 3-junction LA, ‘Koppelstraat’, follow the road until road “Parklaan” on your right in front of a large park with a pond and building ‘Heemkamer De Lange Vonder’, ignore other side paths and side roads.
At this road RA, ‘Parklaan’, then before the white building of ‘Heemkamer De Lange Vonder’ on the left, LA.
A little past the building, at a 3-spot before a pond RA, then RD, ignore the path on the right, follow the pond on the left.
A little past the ‘Park Pavilion’ and a statue, at crossroads LA.
At junction with a small bridge on your left towards a kiosk RA, after leaving the park at junction with a paved road RD, gravel path through a large park with the town hall on your right.
# On your right at the edge of the park is a WWII memorial to civilian victims.
2.
At 4-junction with a bench on the left RA.
At junction with a paved road RD follow the right-hand path across the road.
At 4-junction RD towards a pond, at the pond follow the path with the pond on the left until a path on the right towards a road lock, slightly past some pollard willows on the bank of the pond with information panel ‘Knotwilgen’, ignore other side paths on the right.
At this path walk RA towards the road, at the road with the traffic lock, at T-junction LA, paved road, then after about 50m RA, follow the narrow gravel path with a little further an elongated pond on the right, further on cross a small bridge, beyond the bridge follow the pond further on the left until a T-junction, ignore side paths.
At this T-junction RA, wide path, then before a watercourse LA, follow the path with the watercourse on the right to a bridge over the Goorloop stream.
3.
Before the small bridge, at the crossroads RA, walk through the edge of the grassland with the stream on your left, beyond the grassland continue to follow the stream with bushes on your right.
Past a chapel on your right, at crossroads with a paved road RD, follow the narrow path with the stream on your left to a 3-spot with a concrete bridge on your left, ignore narrow road on your right.
At this 3-spot LA cross the concrete bridge, past the bridge path with the stream on your left, after approx. 60m the path bends to the right away from the stream.
At end of path, at T-junction LA, paved road, kn72 follow 73.
An der 4er-Kreuzung RD in Richtung Teich, am Teich dem Weg mit dem Teich links folgen bis zu einem Weg rechts in Richtung Straßensperre, knapp vorbei an einigen Kopfweiden am Ufer des Teiches mit Infotafel „Knotwilgen“, andere Seitenwege rechts ignorieren.
Auf diesem Weg RA Richtung Strasse, an der Strasse mit der Verkehrsschleuse, an der T-Kreuzung LA, asphaltierte Strasse, dann nach ca. 50m RA, schmaler Schotterweg mit etwas weiterem langgestrecktem Teich rechts, weiter über eine kleine Brücke, hinter der Brücke weiter links am Teich entlang bis zu einer T-Kreuzung, Seitenwege ignorieren.
An dieser T-Kreuzung RA, breiter Weg, dann vor einem Wasserlauf LA, dem Weg mit dem Wasserlauf rechts bis zu einer Brücke über den Goorloop-Bach folgen.
3.
Vor der kleinen Brücke, an der Kreuzung RA, gehen Sie durch den Wiesenrand mit dem Bach zu Ihrer Linken, jenseits der Wiesen folgen Sie weiter dem Bach mit Büschen zu Ihrer Rechten.
Vorbei an einer Kapelle zu Ihrer Rechten, an der Kreuzung mit einer asphaltierten Straße RD, folgen Sie dem schmalen Pfad mit dem Bach zu Ihrer Linken bis zu einem 3-Punkt mit einer Betonbrücke zu Ihrer Linken, ignorieren Sie die schmale Straße zu Ihrer Rechten.
An diesem 3-Punkt LA über die Betonbrücke, hinter der Brücke Weg mit dem Bach zu Ihrer Linken, nach ca. 60m biegt der Weg nach rechts weg vom Bach.
Am Ende des Weges, an der T-Kreuzung LA, asphaltierte Straße, kn72 der 73 folgen.
At T-junction RA, main road, wn route, a little further RD, ignore road ‘Heereneindsestraat’ on left hand side, kn73 follow 3, follow cycle path along main road.
Approx. 90m past house no.32 left of road LA, wide unpaved path, ‘Zwinkelweg’, wn route is abandoned.
At end of path, at T-junction RA, hardened road.
4.
At crossroads LA, follow the wide unpaved path until a path on the left before a green pump-box in the 2nd slight bend to the right.
At this path LA, kn1 follow 36, path with a watercourse on the left.
Past a small bridge over the Goorloop, at a crossing RA, follow kn36 volg 37, follow the path with the stream on your right hand until a T-junction at a through road.
# Well before the main road, the tower of the original Sint-Michael church can be seen on the left at some distance. The church building was demolished around 1813.
At this T-junction LA, follow the cycle path along the main road, ‘Lieshoutseweg’, wn route.
After approx. 120m RA cross the main road, watch out for busy road!!!, paved road, ‘Het Laar’, wn route.
Past house no.8, at 3 junction LA, ‘Groenewoudseweg Na ca. 50 meter’, wn route is abandoned.
Past dwelling no.2, in a bend to the left of the road RA, follow the wide unpaved path to a path on the right before a plot with poplars.
5.
At this path RA, path with the plot with the poplars on the left, further on past a bend to the left the path passes between two farms.
At the end of the path, at the T-junction RA, hardened road, wn route.
In slight bend to the right of the road LA, unpaved path, kn37 follow 22.
Before a farm, keep left at 3 junction, wn route, path with the farm on the right.
# The farm is a historical farm named Het Vagevuur, a little further on were farms named De Hemel and De Hel. De Hemel still exists, De Hel disappeared when the Wilhelminakanaal was dug.
Before the Wilhelminakanaal, at T-junction LA, wide path with the canal on the right, the wn route is left.
At the end of the path RA cross the Laar bridge, on the other side, in a bend to the left of the road RA, hardened cycle path with the canal on the right.
RD, ignore path through an agricultural area on the left.
6.
After about 90m keep left, unpaved path with a bench, kn38 follow 86.
Follow the path with a slight bend to the left, ignore dead-end path on the right.
At T-junction LA, cycle path along main road, the wn route is abandoned.
After approx. 250m RA, ‘Hoog Strijp’ follow the paved road to a bend to the right, ignore side paths on the right.
Past this bend RD, ‘Croylaan’, ignore road ‘Jonker Karellaan’ on the right, continue to follow the road until a dirt path on the left approx. 80m past house no.8 (a house in bend to the left of the road).
At this path LA, unpaved path, ‘Croylaan 1a-1b-1c’, kn59 follow 39.
Well past farm no.1 RD, ignore hardened footpath on the right.
At transition to a hardened road LA through klaphek, wn route, further on the path bends to the right, follow the path further until a T-junction at a through road.
7.
At this T-junction LA, cycle path along the main road, wn route.
Just before a house on the right side of the road RA, unpaved path, wn route.
Before a small crucifix, at junction RD, wn route.
# The small crucifix Hagelkruis served to protect crops from hail, the crucifix is first mentioned in 1419.
Past a small cemetery on the left, at junction with a paved road RD, ‘Opstal’, kn39 follow 35, unpaved path along the back of houses.
At 3-junction keep right, paved road, wn route is abandoned.
At junction keep right, ‘Kerkstraat’, a little further at Y-junction also keep right.
At junction RD, ‘Kerkstraat’, kn51 follow 99, follow the road to a T-junction, ignore side roads.
At this T-junction LA towards the church, the end point, for walkers with public transport continue to follow the through road through the village until a public garden on the left at the public garden is along the through road the bus stop Dorpsstraat.
Legend:
RA = turn right, RD = straight on and LA = turn left
BL = Brabants Landschap
Walking networks:
Green/yellow markings, kn stands for a node pole with numbered direction, wn stands for network route pole with direction only.