Plantloon · Giersbergen · Drongelens Canal
Slow Tour Waalwijk: quiet avenues, sheep and old Brabant
This makes the route special
- Quiet avenues and narrow paths on the Plantloon estate
- A forest full of striking autumn mushrooms
- Sheep among the pines and small heathlands
- Old long facade farms in Giersbergen
- The open lock along the Drongelens Canal
To take into account
- Not marked as one continuous walk
- Forest paths can be muddy after rain
- More than sixteen kilometers without major height differences
- Check opening hours of catering establishments in advance
- Always follow the site signs with a dog
FROM WAALWIJK TO PLANTLOON
The city disappears behind the trees
A narrow path takes you almost immediately into a quiet estate forest.
From the Drunenseweg, Waalwijk lags behind surprisingly quickly. Winding forest paths alternate with long, straight avenues. The landscape feels older and smaller-scale than the well-known sand plain of the Loonse and Drunense Duinen.
Plantloon has a distinct estate character with beech trees, pedunculate oaks, meadows and old hooves. Remnants of a peat canal, dikes and quays recall centuries of transport and water management.
A soft forest floor, high trunks and a path that turns further and further into the greenery.
Narrow paths give the route a quiet and intimate start.
The straight lines reveal the old estate character.
02 · EARLY AUTUMN
A forest full of fungi
By mid-September the forest already showed its autumn side. There were a striking number of mushrooms on the bottom and against dead wood: large wavy shapes, slender white specimens and almost coral-like fungi.
Dead wood is deliberately left here. Mushrooms and insects break it down and become food for woodpeckers and small mammals. What seems messy is actually a lively cycle.
A striking fungus between needles and leaves.
White caps grow in levels against the trunk.
Early autumn turns the forest floor into a small exhibition.
03 · REAR FARM
Flowers and open fields bring air
After dark forest areas, open fields and sunny edges appear. A loose garden blooms at a farm; a little further on, a bumblebee lands on bright orange flowers.
This small-scale scenic landscape around the Achterste Hoeve is the strength of the route. The walk does not seek out the large sandy plain, but connects forest edges, old farms, avenues and grassland.
A flowery transition between forest and farmland.
Even in September there is still plenty of color and insect life.
ALMOST FLAT
The distance is in the legs
There are no major climbs, but the 16.4 kilometers of forest, field and dike paths make this a full-fledged day walk.
04 · NATURAL MANAGEMENT
Sheep among the pines
A flock of sheep among the trees is one of the most beautiful encounters of the day. The animals graze grasses and young trees and thus help keep the heathland and open spaces free.
This management provides space for plants and insects typical of the drifting sand area. Keep sufficient distance and let the herd do its work in peace.
The herd moves quietly between the trunks.
Sheep help prevent heathland and open forest from becoming completely closed.
05 · GIERSBERGEN
Old Brabant in a few streets
At Giersbergen the landscape opens up. The hamlet was founded in the thirteenth century and still consists of old, partly thatched, long-walled farmhouses.
A place name sign on a tree, a village pump and yards with flowers and pumpkins give the whole an almost timeless character. Herberg De Drie Linden is located about halfway here and is a logical place for a break.
Old farms still determine the image of the hamlet.
Giersbergen is located directly against the Loonse and Drunense Duinen.
Pumpkins and flowers add color to the old farms.
06 · WATER AND DYKES
Via the canal back to Waalwijk
After Giersbergen, the route runs over arable land to the 's-Hertogenbosch-Drongelen drainage canal. The canal was dug between 1907 and 1911 to relieve the Bossche Broek in case of flooding.
The unpaved dike paths give the last part a more open rhythm. The Baardwijkse Overlaat also tells a water story: this area used to collect Maas water during floods and was at the same time part of a defense line.
After the closed avenues, the horizon becomes increasingly wider.
MY JUDGMENT
A quiet route with a surprising number of faces
Plantloon, autumn mushrooms, sheep, Giersbergen and the canal make this flat round a particularly complete walk.
The Slow Tour Waalwijk is not spectacular due to height or views. Its strength lies in the succession of small landscapes and the tranquility between the famous attractions of the national park.
PLAN YOUR WALK
Practical information
A largely unpaved circular walk from Waalwijk. Sturdy shoes and up-to-date directions are recommended.
Start and finish
Your own recording starts and ends at Drunenseweg in Waalwijk. Check the current parking rules on site.
Hospitality
Inn De Drie Linden in Giersbergen is about halfway. Check the current opening hours in advance.
Substrate
Especially forest, sand, field and dike paths. After prolonged rain, parts may be muddy.
Navigation
The Slow Tour is not marked as one continuous route. Use the current route description or a GPS track.
THE ACTUAL LINE
My HiiKER recording
The September 19, 2026 recording measures 16.4 kilometers, with a recorded time of 3 hours and 46 minutes and 57 meters of elevation gain.
Always check the latest official route information before departure: paths, access rules and catering options may change.
Watch the recordingDrunenseweg, Waalwijk · circular walk · 57 elevation meters
SEEN ON THE ROAD
The route in images
Resources and route control: the own HiiKER recording from September 19, 2026, Country life / Hiking search page, Natural Monuments – Historical Plantloon and Ambulare. Always check the current official route description and site rules before departure.