Wide and clear lanes, smooth asphalt, no obstacles and as few intersections as possible where cars pass. Such a bike path – on which you hardly stop for a traffic light – almost sounds like a dream. The province North Brabant is working to make that dream a reality and is taking it very seriously; from the north to the south and from the west to the east, it is building Brabant namely a kilometer-long fast bike route network.Cycling in Noord-Brabant has therefore risen to the top of the list of ’things-to-do’ this summer and this autumn. After all, that’s what everyone wants to do, isn’t it? Ride along nicely on smooth paths.
The F261 between Tilburg and Waalwijk is such a fast bike path that is already in use. Two striking green stripes and a center lane even separate the two road halves from each other. And you’ll find a‘bicycle rest area’Sounds a bit old-fashioned, but there are cool benches with shelters and a picnic table. A great place to recharge your batteries.
Even between Breda and Etten-Leur, Den Bosch and Oss, and Eindhoven and Valkenswaard, you’ll find it on the asphalt, just as between Tilburg and Rijen. That last bike path is brand new – it was opened at the end of June 2022.
Cycling path
And then there’s another gem in the area of Breda that makes us cyclists very happy: the Fietsallee. This is a network of super-smooth cycling paths between Breda and Alphen. The most famous cycling paths are the Slingerdreef and the Huisdreef. On these very wide and largely car-free cycling paths you wind your way through the countryside and the forests. And if you have a gravel bike? Then you can hop off the smooth asphalt and head straight into the forests. The best of both worlds, side by side.
The Fietsallee is the perfect cycling path when you want to cycle around after work on a beautiful summer evening. Especially during the ‘golden hour’, the light shines through the trees on the cycle path beautifully. Because the Huisdreef and the Slingerdreef are very sheltered, this is also recommended when it is windy.
Bels Line
Not entirely by chance, the Fietsallee is connected to the Bels Line. Until the late 1980s, a railway line lay at this location between Tilburg and Turnhout. Since then, a 37-kilometer-long cycling path has replaced it, taking you through the Flemish and Brabant landscape in a straight line.
French track
Another lovely road is the Fransebaan in Alphen. Although it’s not a cycling path, you won’t see many cars here either.
Halvezolenpad
The Langstraat – a region between Den Bosch, Tilburg and Breda – was once the center of the shoe and leather industry in our country. The Langstraat railway line ran through this region. Many shoe factories were located next to this railway, and shoe retailers traveled with their shoe models to other parts of the country to sell their shoes there. The railway line soon gained the nickname “Halvezolenlijn.” Over time, the Langstraat became increasingly competitive with foreign companies. The bustling shoe industry in this region collapsed as a result. In the late 1970s, the railway was dismantled and partially converted into a bicycle and walking path. This is also one of our favorite bike paths in the Breda area.
Cycling routes in North Brabant: over the smoothest asphalt!
We built a route of about eighty kilometers for you in which we incorporated the above cycling paths. From the Fietsallee to the Halvezolenpad and the Bels Lijntje, with this route you’ll cycle through Central Brabant! Cycling in North Brabant becomes a real treat.
Good to know:
- You can cut the route considerably short by taking the new fast bike path F58 from Tilburg to Rijen and then cycling back to the starting point via Dorst or the A10 and Bavel. You will then miss the fast bike path between Tilburg and Waalwijk and the Halvezolenpad, but will end up on a round of about 50 kilometers.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.