Top 16 Natural Monuments around Etten-Leur

Lovely to enjoy the flowing water here for a moment.

There you experience peace and hear the birds sing.

Although Meersel-Dreef is the smallest village in Hoogstraten, it is a strong tourist attraction. You won't find cathedrals or large castles there, and famous artists have never lived there. But the farmers, artisans, and clerics who led a simple life here have left behind numerous interesting traces through the centuries. Even adventurer Tom Waes recently blazed an interesting trail here... The first settlement in Meersel-Dreef probably originated in the 12th century. The location was excellent for habitation thanks to the Leuven-Breda-'s Hertogenbosch trade route and the proximity of the Mark river. The oldest mention of Meersel dates back to 1228. At that time, Meersel still belonged to the territory of the Lord of Breda. Later, Meersel became part of the Land of Hoogstraten. The name Dreef was added when an avenue to the Capuchin monastery was built in 1690.

De Oude Buisse Heide is a historic estate of approximately 200 hectares in the municipality of Zundert, near Achtmaal. It is known for its unique combination of nature and cultural history, partly because it was the former summer residence of the artist couple Henriette and Richard Roland Holst. Cultural Heritage: The Roland Holst couple hosted famous guests here and found inspiration for their work. Henriette donated the area to Natuurmonumenten in 1945. Historic Buildings: On the estate, you will find the Buisse Hoeve, the Angorahoeve (the former residence), and Richard Roland Holst's Studio. Some of these properties are available for rent as holiday homes through Buitenleven Vakanties. Vincent van Gogh: The famous painter also developed his love for nature in this area.

Hein Koreman did not make the statue as a war memorial, but exhibited his work for the purchase by Breda at the Keukenhof. At that exhibition in 1954 it won third prize. This statue evoked memories for many in Breda of May 1940, when the population fled from the approaching Germans. The statue was increasingly called The Flight and thus became a war memorial. It has stood in various places: Parkstraat (1955-1959), Ginnekenstraat (1959-1965), Police station Markendaalseweg (1965-1999), Breda. In the Ginnekenstraat it stood in front of the Maria Hemelvaartkerk until it was demolished in 1967. At the request of the Oranjecomité and the ‘Comité 4/5 mei‘ the statue was given a prominent role in 1999 at the commemoration of the dead on 4 May, when many flowers are laid at the monument. It was carefully restored by the artist's sons and reinstalled in Valkenberg Park in April 1999. The statue is timeless and still relevant. It shows the torn nature of people who have to leave the familiar behind. In addition to many refugees from war zones, there are also more and more people who have to leave their homes due to poverty, political reasons or climate change. This means that the statue can also be projected onto the current refugee flows in the world. In July 2021, Radio 4 announced a prize for the most beautiful outdoor artwork in the South of the Netherlands with the program 'De Ochtend van 4'. The artworks were submitted by listeners themselves and there were 12 nominees. For Breda, this was De Vlucht by Hein Koreman. There were 40,072 votes in total. De Vlucht finished in a creditable second place with 22% of the votes.

Be surprised by the rich history of this estate. The Oude Buisse Heide is a typical cultural landscape. Vincent van Gogh got his inspiration from the surroundings of the Oude Buisse Heide. It is a wonderful area for cycling or walking through old forests and along meadows, fields, fens and farms.

The monument 'The Flight' reminds the residents of Breda of the disastrous evacuation of May 1940, which left 114 victims. On Pentecost morning, May 12, 1940, tens of thousands of Breda residents had to evacuate by order of the mayor in connection with possible military confrontations between the Dutch and French troops on the one hand and the occupying forces on the other. The evacuation is known among survivors and in history books as 'The Flight'. People moved south via places such as Hoogstraaten, Zundert and Achtmaal. Many casualties occurred during this evacuation because those fleeing ended up in the line of fire. Some families were brutally confronted with the brutality of the war. This also applies to the Van der Linden family, who had to regret the loss of their mother and three children in one fell swoop. They were present in a school in Sint-Niklaas when this building was hit by a German direct hit during shelling. Of the family members present, only Cornelia survived the bombing; she was seriously injured. Until her death in 1985, she suffered both the mental and physical consequences. Typical of this woman was that she never spoke out about the disaster that happened to her and her family. That is why, according to her granddaughter, who lives in Breda, the following saying of Virgil applies: "Whatever happens, one can overcome any fate by bearing it calmly."

Park Valkenberg is the green oasis in the city center of Breda. A park with royal allure where, until the early nineteenth century, only the castle residents and their guests were welcome. Nowadays it is a wonderful meeting place. Students look for the sun or the shade of the centuries-old trees. Fathers and mothers let their offspring play in the playground while they sit on the terrace of the T-House. Even the geese feel at home there. Falconry The park owes its name to a falcon house that stood on the edge and from which the castle residents and their guests practiced falconry. Live music regularly plays in the park.