Biketour: war history at the edge of the peel

Start location:
Vierlingsbeekseweg 15
5825 AS
Overloon

Cycle route

Length: 43 km. This route takes you along the memories of the many battles, the liberation and the people who gave their lives for it.

The route starts in the village of Overloon, where one of the fiercest battles of the Second World War in the Netherlands took place. After the failure of Operation Market Garden, the Germans wanted to form a solid front in the bend of the river Maas between Sambeek and Venlo. Because of the poorly passable landscape - the Peel on one side and the Maas on the other - the Allies are in danger of being dependent on a single road to Venray. They advanced towards the city.

At Overloon it comes to a first encounter between Allied and German armoured divisions: The Battle of Overloon. In Overloon itself you can find various reminders of the big battle. One of the attractions of the area is War Museum Overloon. There is also a British war cemetery and a monument: 'Sta een ogenblik stil...' On the route you also pass the remains of Castle de Hattert, which was almost completely destroyed during the Battle of Overloon.

Via Vierlingsbeek, after a small stretch of the River Maas, you arrive in the village of Holthees. The inhabitants of this village took in some 1,500 evacuated Overloon residents at the end of September 1944. After Holthees was bombed by the Allies on 30 September, the inhabitants and evacuees moved to nearby villages.
Alongside the Maas you arrive at the village of Geijsteren, where the ruins of the beautiful Castle Geijsteren remain. Baron De Weichs de Wenne, owner of the castle in 1944, hid here with his family a few people in hiding and a number of refugees in the cellars of the castle. Eventually, the baron and his family fled the castle, after which the building was razed to the ground by a British bombardment.

The route continues towards Venray. From the church tower of the Sint-Petrus' Bandenkerk the Germans kept a close eye on the Allied advance. This eventually led to British bombers bombing the church tower - 'the Keeper of the Peel'. Venray was liberated in October 1944, after the Allied victory at the Battle of Overloon. Shortly afterwards the British announced a general evacuation of the city, after which it was an uninhabited front city.

Special fact: the Peace Church is located on Kennedy Square. This building was erected after the war through the cooperation of Germany, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Central to this was the idea of forgiveness and reconciliation. Through beautiful nature you finally cycle back to Overloon.

Properties
Route: 35-50 km.
Numbered junction network route
Route from A to A

Nearby

The distances mentioned below are the distances from the location above.

 
 
0,44km
Restaurant
 
0,50km
Lunchroom
 
0,54km
Places of interest
 
2,57km
Places of interest
 
2,91km
Places of interest
 
4,22km
Restaurant
 
4,31km
Places of interest
 
4,77km
Places of interest
 
4,92km
Places of interest
 
5,09km
Terrace
 
5,14km
Park/Garden
 
5,25km
Places of interest
 
5,27km
Restaurant
 
5,33km
Restaurant
 
5,36km
Restaurant
 
5,47km
Restaurant
 
5,48km
Lunchroom
 
5,53km
Restaurant
 
5,54km
Terrace
 
5,56km
Restaurant
 
5,73km
Places of interest
 
5,80km
Restaurant
 
5,90km
Pancake restaurant
 
6,52km
Places of interest
 
6,60km
Places of interest
 
6,62km
Places of interest
 
6,77km
Park/Garden
 
7,23km
Places of interest
 
7,23km
Places of interest
 
7,52km
Places of interest
 
8,53km
Places of interest
 
9,65km
Lunchroom