On 23/7/22 ,We set-off on a day tour of Oisterwijkse Bossen en Vennen from Eindhoven, Netherlands(at a distance of 32 kms) which is a mesmerizing landscape/waterscape with tall pine trees which create incredible reflections on the lakes!It is home to stunning nature trails in a landscape of woods ,ferns ,water pools,dragon flies & tawny owls !We enjoyed the great location thoroughly !Its a great entertaining place for all(the old, the young & kids)& a heaven for people indulging in health promoting excercises such as sports ,long walks, cycling & tracking !Lets learn about ‘origin’ of this destination with an interesting history !
HISTORY: The area was once a vast heathland(a barren wasteland) with many fens(marshlands), but from 1801 the area was forested. Younger plantations date from about 1840 . Until 1912 the area belonged to the estate “De Hondsberg”, once attached to the former Castle Durendaal . There were plans to allot and build on the area, after which it was purchased in 1913 by the Vereniging Natuurmonumenten. It was encouraged to do so by the local tourist office , which was wary of plans to cut down the forests and drain the fens, and received support from the municipalities of Tilburg and Oisterwijk in the form of interest-free loans and later also gifts. An important objective in the purchase was also to prevent the area from being built up with villas. Pieter van Tienhoven played as treasureran important role in this. The Van Tienhovenlaan , which bisects the area, is named after him. Purchases were made until 1932 , making the area 391 ha.The area is part of the European nature network Natura 2000 under the area name Kampina & Oisterwijkse Vennen
About the area
Oisterwijkse Bossen and Vennen is a varied forest area with atmospheric fens and hidden moors. Lovely to walk through. There are vistas everywhere and on one of the many benches you can dream away at the fens. Sturdy walkers can continue walking in the adjacent Kampina nature reserve.
Its one of the most popular nature reserve among nature lovers with nature trails in a landscape of woods ,ferns ,freshwater pools ,home to dragon flies & tawny owls!Its centrally located in North Brabant between Tilsburg, Den Bosch & Eindhoven & is best known hiking areas in the province !To the East it almost joins the Kampina also owned by Natuurmonumenten!To the west it joins the area Oude Housberg which is owned by Brabant Landscape ! You can enjoy walking & cycling but above all you can enjoy natural surroundings with many rare species plants with leaves of changing colours sighted in all seasons here !It has total 80 fens & the area is full of woodpeckers ,kingfishers, deers, birds ,ducts & teals, dragon flies & water critters! Walking routes,cycling routes, childrens’ tracks are so very attractive & enjoyable being guided with cute ‘direction boards’ displayed everywhere!One can even take a guide!For night stay one has to book a nature cottage! In winters the place turns into a fairytale & looks breathtaking with so many birds singing & chattering around flowering trees & shrubs! Regardless of the seasons,sunrise reflected in clear dark waters of the Oisterwijkse fens looks so very enchanting !Most of the fens in this nature reserve arose after the last ice age. Icy arctic winds blew sand into mounds, which can still be clearly seen in the forest. Behind the hills, the blown-out bowls filled with rainwater, creating dozens of fens. A layer of loam in the soil ensures that the water does not sink. An exception is the Kolkven, which was created by the swirling water of an old river. Other fens recall their former use, such as the Brouwkuip, where beer brewers cleaned their vats. The Brandven owes its name to the fact that fire water used to be extracted here. Still others are named after well-known families or persons, such as Het Speijckven and Van Esschenven. Each lake has its own atmosphere, its own nature and its own story. Discover it during one of the many walking routes through this surprising fen area full of winding paths and vistas !
SAVED FROM DESTRUCTION : A wonderful place for a break is the Van Tienhovenbank on the edge of the Van Esschenven. The bench has been there since 1935 and is named after Pieter van Tienhoven, a nature conservationist from the very beginning. He was a board member of Natuurmonumenten from 1907 to 1952 and played a leading role in the purchase of the Oisterwijkse Bossen and Vennen. Just in time; a project developer wanted to cut down the forest and drain the fens to build a villa park there. The local tourist office alerted the then still young ‘Association for the Preservation of Nature Monuments’. The association bought the forest area in 1913. Since then, nature has taken precedence here.It is the habitat for numerous special plants and animals, such as the marsh dewclaw, gale, little grebe and tufted duck. And you might even see a kingfisher chasing fish from the Van Tienhoven Bank!
Vereniging Natuurmonumenten: Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands is a Dutch Nature Conservation Organisation founded in 1905 by Jacobus Pieter Thijsse and Eli Heimans that buys, protects and manages nature reserves in the Netherlands. It is a member of the European Environmental Bureau !
My dear readers may kindly point out any incorrect information in my above writeup! I am truly indebted to Wikipedia & the site :https://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden/oisterwijkse-boss for the invaluable information on this beautiful excursion site ! Happy reading friends!
Travel and Share 