A morning on the bike, an afternoon by the water, an evening on a terrace in the village. And when it rains: an abbey with its own beer, a swimming pool or a day in the city. Enough for every day, and for every kind of weather.
Cycle junctions
Pick your numbers and go
A row of numbers on a scrap of paper is all you need. The cycle junction network was invented right here, in Fietsparadijs Limburg, and it runs past the house. You follow the signs along the canal and through the village, and make your ride as long or as short as you like.
You join the network without getting in the car
Lockable bike shed with charging points for e-bikes
Walking junctions follow the same system
Bike hire nearby if you come without a bike
A cycle junction on the towpath
Nature
Three large reserves, all by bike
Hageven
Pools, heath and the Dommel, right up against the Dutch border, where the reserve continues as De Plateaux. Eight signposted walks, a wooden footbridge and a visitor centre with a terrace.
More than ten thousand hectares of heath, woodland and pools, from Hamont-Achel to the edge of Eindhoven. The routes cross the border without you noticing; the Achelse Kluis lies on its edge.
01Fietsparadijs LimburgFree route planner for the junction network
Some two thousand kilometres of signposted cycle paths, mostly car-free. On the Visit Limburg website you plan a route at home and jot down the numbers to follow along the way.
02Towpath along the canalCar-free by the water, right by the house
The Bocholt–Herentals Canal runs right past the house. The towpath alongside it is flat and quiet: an easy way to ride out into the region or take an evening stroll.
03Fietsen door de BomenThe cycle bridge in the Pijnven, Hechtel-Eksel
A double ring of seven hundred metres that gradually climbs to ten metres high, so you cycle up among the treetops. Also open to walkers and wheelchair users, from sunrise to sunset. Junction 272.
Kiefhoekstraat 16, 3940 Hechtel-Eksel (Pijnven car park)
04Trappist walking routesSignposted, various lengths
Walking loops of three to nearly thirteen kilometres across the heath around Achel. The Achel (11 km) and La Trappe (7 km) routes start at the Achelse Kluis.
Two hundred hectares of sand dotted with bright blue lakes, in the middle of the pine forests: a little desert in the Campine. Bosland's De Reus lookout tower is thirty metres high.
Heath, pools and the Dommel on the Dutch side of the border. The Dommel flows here from the Hageven; if you take the kayak trip, you paddle straight through it.
03Kayaking down the DommelKayaking on the Dommel
Paddle down the Dommel by kayak, through the Hageven and De Malpie, to Borkel (one and a half to two hours) or Valkenswaard (three to four hours). A shuttle brings you back to the start. Book through the Neerpeltse Watersport Club website.
04The alpaca farmMore than seventy alpacas, Kaulille
A working breeding farm where, during the grazing season, a day ticket lets you wander among the alpacas, llamas and farm animals. If you want more: short alpaca walks, farm golf in the meadow and children's parties. Those do need booking.
01Achelse KluisAbbey with brewery and brasserie, right on the border
The abbey sits on the Belgian–Dutch border, on the edge of De Groote Heide. In the brasserie you can drink the abbey's own Achel beer. A good place to end a bike ride.
An open-air museum with an international collection of sound art: works you listen to rather than look at on a wall. Free to enter all year round; allow an hour to an hour and a half. Fun with children too. The paths are mostly unpaved.
For everyday things you don't need the car. In the village you'll find a bakery, a Spar supermarket and a few cosy cafés and restaurants, and if you come without a bike, you can hire one nearby.
In den Draai 
