Attractions and Places To See around Boekel - Top 20

The Bedafse Bergen form a striking drifting sand area between Uden and Vorstenbosch. The landscape was created by centuries of sand drift after the original forests were cleared for agriculture and firewood in the Middle Ages. The wind carried the loose sand and accumulated it into hills and sand ridges—the present-day sand dunes of the Bedafse Bergen. The area consists of open drifting sand, low and high sand hills, dry heathland, and small transitions to forest. The dunes have remained active because managers keep sections open, thus preserving the character of a true drifting sand area. The higher ridges offer clear views over the undulating sand landscape, which differs significantly from the typical Brabant forests and farmland. The Bedafse Bergen are one of the few remaining places in North Brabant where this type of landscape can still be seen so clearly: a rugged, dry, and dynamic terrain with natural elevation changes. This makes it both scenically unique and physically challenging, especially when you hike up and down the steep sandy slopes several times. Today, it's a protected nature reserve and a popular hiking area due to its unique dune landscape, open vistas, and stark contrast with the surrounding landscape.

The Bedafse Bergen form a striking drifting sand area between Uden and Vorstenbosch. The landscape was created by centuries of sand drift after the original forests were cleared for agriculture and firewood in the Middle Ages. The wind carried the loose sand and accumulated it into hills and sand ridges—the present-day sand dunes of the Bedafse Bergen. The area consists of open drifting sand, low and high sand hills, dry heathland, and small transitions to forest. The dunes have remained active because managers keep sections open, thus preserving the character of a true drifting sand area. The higher ridges offer clear views over the undulating sand landscape, which differs significantly from the typical Brabant forests and farmland. The Bedafse Bergen are one of the few remaining places in North Brabant where this type of landscape can still be seen so clearly: a rugged, dry, and dynamic terrain with natural elevation changes. This makes it both scenically unique and physically challenging, especially when you hike up and down the steep sandy slopes several times. Today, it's a protected nature reserve and a popular hiking area due to its unique dune landscape, open vistas, and stark contrast with the surrounding landscape.

The boardwalk bridge at the Wijstgronden in the Sint-Annabos area was constructed to make the walking path accessible over wet and marshy sections of the forest valley. The elevated position of the wooden planks keeps the path dry, even when the ground is waterlogged due to rain or high groundwater. The bridge spans a zone of moist soil and marshy terrain belonging to the Wijstgronden—an area characterized by wet soil, moisture-loving vegetation, and fluctuating water levels. Previously, such areas were barely or inaccessible in wet weather; thanks to the boardwalk bridge, the area is now accessible to hikers year-round. The construction is simple yet effective: wooden planks on a frame that rests just above the ground, so that the natural drainage and peat soil are not disturbed. This bridge is therefore typical of nature reserve management in wet zones: maximizing accessibility with minimal impact on the environment. For hikers, the boardwalk bridge provides a pleasant transition from dry path to marshy terrain and back again. It marks the fact that you are in a damp, peaty zone – a landscape that would otherwise be difficult to navigate – and makes a walk through the Wijstgronden of the Sint-Annabos possible, even in wet weather.

Nature center De Maashorst also has a cafe restaurant to recharge your batteries for the walks

The Bedafse Bergen is an elongated nature reserve of 75 hectares located northeast of Vorstenbosch and northwest of the hamlet of Bedaf. The largest part of it lies in the municipality of Uden, which also owns the area. In the Middle Ages, a drifting sand ridge was created here that was planted with conifers at the beginning of the twentieth century. The wood was mainly used as mining timber. The drifting sand ridge with heights of up to 25 meters is maintained by management. It is flanked by a heathland on the blown-out plain where, among other things, brown beak sedge grows. Breeding birds in the area are sparrowhawk, hobby, long-eared owl, golden oriole, pied flycatcher, yellowhammer, redstart and woodlark. Northeast of the Bedafse Bergen is the extensive Maashorst landscape park and between the Bedafse Bergen and Uden lie the Wijstgronden.

Nature centre De Maashorst is the starting and information point for all nature-related activities in De Maashorst. You will find the monumental farm at Erenakkerstraat 5 in Nistelrode, parking is possible 200 metres before the centre on the corner of Maashorstweg/Slabroekseweg. 2 parking spaces are reserved exclusively for disabled people at the entrance of the nature centre. You must have an official disabled parking card for this. Open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. Open on Mondays and Saturdays at 13:00.

Lovely area with sand drifts, fun to play with children.

Nice initiative by the people of Uden who created this boardwalk, you can walk through a beautiful piece of nature.