Five times UNESCO in North Brabant

Rianne Leenders
By: Rianne Culture lover | Read time: 5 minutes
  • Wandelaar op een brug over Het Dommelpad.
  • Corso Zundert
  • Twee kinderen op uitkijktoren Fort de Roovere
  • De Maasheggen in het Land van Cuijk

UNESCO is best known for the World Heritage List. This list includes heritage that is of unique and universal value for humanity. Examples are Machu Picchu in Peru, Stonehenge in England or the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands. But UNESCO also recognises heritage in other areas, which means you will encounter UNESCO sites also in North Brabant.

1. The Maasheggen - UNESCO Biosphere area

  • De Maasheggen in het Land van Cuijk

The Maasheggen area is a landscape divided into a large number of smaller pieces of land, separated from one another by hedges. The shrubs are sawn through halfway and bent sideways, causing them to intertwine as they grown and ultimately create a very dense partition. The Maasheggen are in North Brabant in the floodplains of the Maas river in the area near the villages Vierlingsbeek, Boxmeer and Oeffelt. The ancient landscape, unique in Western Europe, is still very visible here. Go for a lovely hike or bicycle ride through the area.

In the area:

2. UNESCO Geopark Schelde Delta

  • Twee kinderen op uitkijktoren Fort de Roovere
  • Asperges van het land
  • Het Markiezenhof in Bergen op Zoom

The Schelde Delta is a unique cross-border area where the tides of the North Sea push and pull at the course of the Schelde and salt water flows into freshwater. In the Netherlands, the Geopark stretches over the provinces of Zeeland and North Brabant. In North Brabant, the Geopark covers the Brabant Escarpment. The area is striking due to its steep side – an abrupt transition from the higher sandy ground to the lower sea clay polders. The steep side, caused by erosion by the Schelde river, runs from Ossendrecht along Hoogerheide, Woensdrecht, Bergen op Zoom and Halsteren to Steenbergen. The highest point is 39 metres above sea level. It’s a lovely place to go walking or cycling.

In the area:

3. Dutch Water Defence Lines

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Amsterdam’s defence line has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List since 1996 and was added to the New Holland Defence Line in 2021. Together they are called the Dutch Water Defence Lines: 200 kilometres long with 96 forts, 6 fortresses and 2 castles. A water defence line was an attempt to hold back the enemy with the smart application of water. Many of the forts and fortresses built earlier can still be visited today. The Brabant section of the Dutch Water Defence Lines, close to the North Brabant Biesbosch, is home to Fort Altena, Fort Bakkerskil and Fort Giessen.

Een foto van Kiki Brouwers.
Explore all Zuiderwaterlinie routes

“The Zuiderwaterlinie footpath takes you over a distance of 290 kilometres from Grave to Bergen op Zoom or the other way round. The stages are laid out over the Brabant junctions systems and can be recognised by the green/yellow signposting with the Zuiderwaterlinie symbol. Of course, you can also decide on shorter partial routes, city walking tours or a cycle route.”

In the area:

4. Flower Parades and sausage rolls

  • Corso Zundert
  • Worstenbroodjes in een mandje

There is also a UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage. It is a living heritage, a kind of tradition. In North Brabant, the flower parades in Zundert and Valkenswaard have been recognised as such. The parade in Zundert is the world’s largest flower parade. Each year, 20 hamlets compete to see who has built the most beautiful float. The Brabant sausage roll is also on the list of intangible cultural heritage. Traditionally it is made from spiced minced meat and white bread, but it is now also available as a vegetarian snack. These sausage rolls can be purchased at any baker’s shop in North Brabant and at Houben in Eindhoven you can even eat them with truffles or prepared following the recipe of a Michelin-starred chef. Bon appétit!

Foodroutes

“Enjoying good and honest food lies deeply rooted in the DNA of North Brabant. The love for gastronomy and the generous Brabant soil can be tasted in a unique manner along the specially mapped out food routes. Mount your bicycle or pull on your hiking boots for a culinary exploratory trip to acquaint yourself with the rich Brabant gastronomic culture, of which the sausage roll is definitely a part!”

Flower Parades:

  • Zundert Flower Parade

    7 and 8 September

    Zundert Flower Parade

  • Flower parade Valkenswaard

    Sunday 21 September

    Flower parade Valkenswaard

5. The Plateaux-Hageven

  • Wandelaar op een brug over Het Dommelpad.
  • Een houten vlonderpad met een bankje door een moerasgebied.
  • De Dommel omringt door groen en een wit huis.
  • Grote zwarte houten gebouw met watermolen

The Plateaux-Hageven is a nature reserve near Bergeijk and Valkenswaard, on the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. It is a fantastic area to walk in the woods, over the moors and along fens. What make the area so unique are the flood meadows, a water system that dates back to the early 19th century. Water was deliberately directed over a piece of land from a stream, river or canal to ‘fertilise’ the land, resulting in a better yield. This technique of grassland flooding has been nominated for UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.

Een foto van Kiki Brouwers.
The Dommelpad nature route

“The Dommelpad follows the course of the Dommel river and can be followed in 6 stages. One of these stages takes you past the Plateaux.”

In the area:

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