Budel, Klein-Brogel, Budel-Dorplein

In the town of Budel, the Belgian border is always within easy reach, but before you cross it, you first cycle through an unusual village. About 150 years ago, there was nothing here but untouched nature and vast fields. In the year 1892, the Dor family decided to build a zinc factory on the land between Budel and Weert. At that time, the workers lived in the same place where they worked, so a place to live had to be created for all the factory workers. This was the beginning of the factory village of Budel-Dorplein, not Dorpplein, but Dorplein, in honour of the Dor family. During your cycle route through this village, you will pass historical buildings where working-class families used to have their home, and a special place for bachelor workers called Hotel Sint-Joseph.

Continue your exploration through the Belgian countryside. You cycle past small villages and green meadows on your way to Klein-Brogel. If you have a passion for planes, a stop at the Air Museum, open on Tuesdays and Thursdays, is a must. Here you can explore the fascinating history of the air force and admire the extensive collection under expert guidance. As you cycle further along Kleine-Brogel, you get closer to the charming village of Pelt. Here you can stop off and visit the Mill Museum. Thanks to the variety of mills in the village, Pelt is also known as the Mill Community. Find out how these mills functioned and what they were used for.

A few more kilometres of pedalling and you are already approaching the border. There was considerable smuggling here in the past, leading to the presence of several historic customs houses and border crossings in the area. Of course, the border crossing between the Netherlands and Belgium used to be not as easy to cross as it is today. Fortunately, you don't have to worry about that now!