Cycle route borderless along the Wire of Death
Budel, Hamont, Achel
Your cycling adventure begins on the outskirts of Budel. It won't be long before you leave the Netherlands behind and cross the border into Belgium. In this area, where the southern provinces meet our southern neighbours, you will discover charming villages, beautiful forests and fascinating sights. During World War I, the Netherlands remained neutral, while Belgium was occupied by the Germans. For this reason, the Germans placed a guarded border, known as the Wire of Death. This separation not only served as a barrier between the free world and a world in conflict, but was also literally life-threatening because of the high electrical voltage on it. A touch with this wire was lethal. A homemade wooden window, seen in the route photo, allowed people to cross the border anyway. The history of this area shows that borders often bring unrest. Besides the former customs houses in Hamont, you also pass similar dwellings just beyond Achel. This is where customs officers from the cyclists' brigade stayed to combat smuggling in the region. After this journey through the region's history, you may also want to enjoy the countryside. As your route nears its end, you will pass Monastery De Achelse Kluis with surrounding nature reserves. Besides the beautiful monastery, you can also visit the observation tower in the area. With stunning views of the region in mind, you'll drive the last part of the route along the border between the Netherlands and Belgium, which is thankfully now open and accessible.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: , 6021 KB Cranendonck | 29.9 KM | |
|
From
80
to
2
|
1356 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head southeast | 2 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Grootschoterweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 02 | 0 M | ||
|
From
2
to
7
|
2497 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head south on Grootschoterweg | 789 M | ||
| Turn right onto Lochterweg | 9 M | ||
| Turn left onto Loozerdijk | 290 M | ||
| Turn left onto Woutjesdijk | 230 M | ||
| Turn right onto Peeldijk | 134 M | ||
| Turn left onto Prinses Beatrixstraat | 352 M | ||
| Turn right onto 't Routje | 521 M | ||
| Continue straight | 7 M | ||
| Turn left onto Stationsweg | 118 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 3 M | ||
| Turn right onto Sint Barbaraweg | 44 M | ||
| You are now at section 7 | 0 M | ||
|
From
7
to
223
|
1639 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head southwest on Sint Barbaraweg | 1.5 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 129 M | ||
| Turn right onto Fabrieksstraat | 5 M | ||
| You are now at section 223 | 0 M | ||
|
From
223
to
542
|
1500 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head north | 248 M | ||
| Turn right onto Locht | 463 M | ||
| Turn right onto Erkstraat | 789 M | ||
| You are now at section 542 | 0 M | ||
|
From
542
to
568
|
537 M | 0.5 KM | |
| Head west on Sleutjes | 124 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Sleutjes | 12 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Sleutjes | 39 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 24 M | ||
| Turn left | 173 M | ||
| Turn right onto Kloosterstraat | 110 M | ||
| Turn right onto Wal | 55 M | ||
| You are now at section 568 | 0 M | ||
|
From
568
to
541
|
2664 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head southwest on Kerkstraat | 147 M | ||
| Turn right onto Pastoor Lemmensstraat | 70 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hoogstraat | 49 M | ||
| Turn right onto Brouwersstraat | 75 M | ||
| Turn left onto Burg (N71) | 7 M | ||
| Turn right onto Brouwersstraat | 42 M | ||
| Turn left onto Houtakker | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Kleine Haart | 1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 541 | 0 M | ||
|
From
541
to
563
|
2391 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head southwest on Nobelstraat | 279 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Nobelstraat | 34 M | ||
| Turn right onto Grote Haart | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Orchideeënlaan | 889 M | ||
| You are now at section 563 | 0 M | ||
|
From
563
to
564
|
2436 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head west on Orchideeënlaan | 346 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Michielsplein | 39 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Michielsplein | 371 M | ||
| Continue slightly right onto Pastoor Bungenerslaan | 63 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Pastoor Bungenerslaan | 28 M | ||
| Continue straight | 6 M | ||
| Turn left | 2 M | ||
| Continue onto Dorpsstraat | 142 M | ||
| Turn right onto Schutterijstraat | 271 M | ||
| Enter Ven and take the 1st exit onto Oude Pastorijstraat | 21 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Oude Pastorijstraat | 711 M | ||
| Turn left onto Witteberg | 436 M | ||
| You are now at section 564 | 0 M | ||
|
From
564
to
218
|
1976 M | 2 KM | |
| Head northeast | 2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 218 | 0 M | ||
|
From
218
to
217
|
3788 M | 3.8 KM | |
| Head north | 834 M | ||
| Turn right | 14 M | ||
| Continue onto Weltevreden | 174 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Weltevreden | 446 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kluizerdijk | 2.2 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Beverbeekse Heide | 21 M | ||
| Continue onto Abdijweg | 60 M | ||
| You are now at section 217 | 0 M | ||
|
From
217
to
36
|
610 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head northeast on Petrus van Eijnattenlaan | 395 M | ||
| Continue onto Kluizerweg | 215 M | ||
| You are now at section 36 | 0 M | ||
|
From
36
to
38
|
2522 M | 2.5 KM | |
| Head southeast | 138 M | ||
| Turn left | 1.5 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Bergbosweg | 234 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 662 M | ||
| You are now at section 38 | 0 M | ||
|
From
38
to
216
|
810 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head south | 810 M | ||
| You are now at section 216 | 0 M | ||
|
From
216
to
215
|
2585 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head south | 13 M | ||
| Continue straight | 35 M | ||
| Turn left onto Ruiterstraat | 2.4 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Mulk | 181 M | ||
| You are now at section 215 | 0 M | ||
|
From
215
to
12
|
1098 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head north on Toomstraat | 203 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Toomstraat | 548 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Asbroekweg | 347 M | ||
| You are now at section 12 | 0 M | ||
|
From
12
to
80
|
1436 M | 1.4 KM | |
| Head south on Toom | 78 M | ||
| Turn right onto Cranendoncklaan | 519 M | ||
| Turn right onto Grensweg | 11 M | ||
| Turn left onto Cranendoncklaan | 18 M | ||
| Turn left onto Grensweg | 500 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Grensweg | 241 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 1st exit | 69 M | ||
| You are now at section 80 | 0 M | ||
|
From
80
to
80
|
59 M | 0.1 KM | |
| Head southeast | 59 M | ||
| You are now at section 80 | 0 M |