Liberation route | Battle in the Air
Rijen, Gilze, Riel
The Liberation Routes Brabant are eight cycle routes, spread throughout the province, that take you past the stories of World War II and liberation. In this war, air combat was one of the main ways of fighting. Gilze-Rijen already had an airfield before the invasion in May 1940, then called Molenheide airfield. The Germans must have had plans to expand this airfield well before the invasion of the Netherlands, because immediately they built Molenheide into 'Fliegerhorst Gilze-Rijen', one of the largest airfields in Europe at the time. This obviously had major consequences for local residents. Houses and land were requisitioned and residents were put to work on aircraft repairs. Moreover, the Allies tried to destroy the airfield by numerous bombing raids, on both the real Gilze-Rijen airfield and the mock De Kiek airfield, which had been created to deceive the Allies. There were civilian casualties. On 28 October 1944, Polish armies liberated Rijen first, followed by the British. Cycle through the forests around Gilze-Rijen, visit the airfield and immerse yourself in the war stories you encounter along the way. In a number of places, you will come across special story pillars that tell a personal story of wta local residents experienced in World War II. Photo: ©E. Voskens-Van Nunen, via VisitBrabant Routebureau
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Alphenseweg , 5126 AC Gilze en Rijen | 42 KM | |
|
From
15
to
13
|
501 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head north on Alphenseweg | 501 M | ||
| You are now at section 13 | 0 M | ||
|
From
13
to
16
|
326 M | 0.3 KM | |
| Head north on Heuvel | 37 M | ||
| Turn left onto Aalstraat | 289 M | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
|
From
16
to
11
|
977 M | 1 KM | |
| Head northwest on Bisschop de Vetplein | 147 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Abdis van Thornstraat | 122 M | ||
| Turn left onto Steenakkerplein | 6 M | ||
| Turn right onto Ridderstraat | 383 M | ||
| Turn right onto Strijp | 319 M | ||
| You are now at section 11 | 0 M | ||
|
From
11
to
32
|
1702 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head northwest | 42 M | ||
| Continue straight | 275 M | ||
| Turn left | 43 M | ||
| Turn right | 593 M | ||
| Turn right onto Molenschotsedijk | 145 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 307 M | ||
| Turn left | 12 M | ||
| Turn left | 23 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Lijndonk | 262 M | ||
| You are now at section 32 | 0 M | ||
|
From
32
to
42
|
4946 M | 4.9 KM | |
| Head northwest on Lijndonk | 890 M | ||
| Turn right onto Broekstraat | 3.1 KM | ||
| Keep right onto Heideweg | 82 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 6 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oosterhoutseweg | 319 M | ||
| Turn left | 26 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oosterhoutseweg | 487 M | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
|
From
42
to
19
|
178 M | 0.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Oosterhoutseweg | 178 M | ||
| You are now at section 19 | 0 M | ||
|
From
19
to
71
|
3838 M | 3.8 KM | |
| Head north on Oosterhoutseweg | 95 M | ||
| Turn right | 26 M | ||
| Turn right onto Nassaulaan | 57 M | ||
| Turn right | 20 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nassaulaan | 45 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oranjeplein | 95 M | ||
| Turn left onto Pastoor Gillisstraat | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Laagstraat | 39 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Zwarte Dijk | 355 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Zwarte Dijk | 7 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Zwarte Dijk | 185 M | ||
| Turn right onto Theewsepad | 37 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Zwarte Dijk | 6 M | ||
| Continue onto Zwarte Dijk | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 71 | 0 M | ||
|
From
71
to
1
|
1345 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Broekdijk | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 01 | 0 M | ||
|
From
1
to
43
|
875 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head east on Lage Madepad | 875 M | ||
| You are now at section 43 | 0 M | ||
|
From
43
to
54
|
1919 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head south on Hulteneindsestraat | 913 M | ||
| Turn left onto Rijksweg | 353 M | ||
| Turn right onto Vlodroppad | 281 M | ||
| Continue left onto Hultenseweg | 372 M | ||
| You are now at section 54 | 0 M | ||
|
From
54
to
55
|
3852 M | 3.9 KM | |
| Head east on Keizersakker | 659 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Keizersakker | 193 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nieuwe Lijn | 753 M | ||
| Turn left onto Bleukweg | 706 M | ||
| Turn left onto Bleukbosweg | 184 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Bleukbosweg | 201 M | ||
| Turn right onto Bredaseweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
|
From
55
to
8
|
1738 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head south on Oude Rielsebaan | 10 M | ||
| Continue onto Oude Rielsebaan | 1.7 KM | ||
| You are now at section 08 | 0 M | ||
|
From
8
to
9
|
976 M | 1 KM | |
| Head southeast on Oude Rielsebaan | 7 M | ||
| Turn left onto Gilzerbaan | 969 M | ||
| You are now at section 09 | 0 M | ||
|
From
9
to
34
|
3181 M | 3.2 KM | |
| Head south on Bels Lijntje | 3.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
47
|
855 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Dorpstraat | 732 M | ||
| Turn left onto Brokkenstraat | 123 M | ||
| You are now at section 47 | 0 M | ||
|
From
47
to
74
|
2531 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head southwest on Oude Tilburgsebaan | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Akkerweg | 754 M | ||
| Turn left onto Looienhoek | 129 M | ||
| Turn left onto Brakel | 22 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
|
From
74
to
70
|
2992 M | 3 KM | |
| Head west on Brakel | 15 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Bels Lijntje (29) | 3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 70 | 0 M | ||
|
From
70
to
72
|
3214 M | 3.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on Oude Tilburgsebaan | 63 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Oosterwijksestraat | 1 KM | ||
| Turn right | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn left | 9 M | ||
| Continue onto Druisdijk | 857 M | ||
| You are now at section 72 | 0 M | ||
|
From
72
to
67
|
1336 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head west on Dijksbaantje; Dijks Baantje | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 67 | 0 M | ||
|
From
67
to
68
|
2211 M | 2.2 KM | |
| Head northwest | 886 M | ||
| Turn left | 11 M | ||
| Continue onto Altenaweg | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 68 | 0 M | ||
|
From
68
to
69
|
1744 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head north on Alphensebaan | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Versterstraat | 143 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
|
From
69
to
15
|
762 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northeast on Bolberg | 503 M | ||
| Turn left onto Alphenseweg | 259 M | ||
| You are now at section 15 | 0 M |