Tour of freedom
Oosterhout, Dorst, Rijen
In 1944, the Allies advanced from France and Belgium towards the still occupied Netherlands. Meanwhile, the Germans tried with all their might to keep the bridge at Moerdijk open for retreating troops for as long as possible. The fighting in and around the village of Dorst in October 1944 was so fierce that the Poles of the 1st Polish Armoured Division were forced to liberate it twice. A rain of artillery shells descends on Dorst and firefights play out in the streets. As the streets were bombed, residents sat anxiously in their cellars. Dorst was the first part of the municipality of Oosterhout to be liberated on 28 October 1944. While cycling through the countryside and the peaceful surrounding forests, you can hardly imagine how frightened people were here. How many family and friends they had already lost and how they longed for freedom. Danger lurked everywhere in the form of German soldiers and day and night you could hear the sound of mortars, grenades and armoured vehicles. The ignorance: are your parents safe? Your children? Meanwhile, the Seventh Armoured Division of the Second British Army (Desertrats) was ordered to advance towards Oosterhout to take up positions near the Wilhelmina Canal. Oosteind and Oosterhout were liberated by the Desertrats on 29 and 30 October. It was only on 3 November that the first Polish armoured division led by General Maczek managed to cross the Marksluis, after heavy shelling the day before at Vrachelen. On 4 November, after heavy shelling, Den Hout was also liberated. But the misery is not over: the Germans then bombard the allies and civilians with shellfire for days. After the liberation, the civilian population of Oosterhout suffered more casualties than during the war. German shellfire kills 32 Oosterhouters; thirteen people are killed by 'flying bombs' (V-1s ) Today, our freedom to go where we want is our greatest asset. We must never forget how many lives and how much fear this freedom cost. But in the meantime, today, let us celebrate our freedom above all! This premium cycle route has been compiled by our editor: Yvonne Vlaskamp
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Oude Bredasebaan , 4904 SC Oosterhout | 50.2 KM | |
|
From
91
to
22
|
2805 M | 2.8 KM | |
| Head southeast on Oude Bredasebaan | 57 M | ||
| Turn right | 849 M | ||
| Turn left onto Vraggelse Baan | 11 M | ||
| Continue onto Tilburgse Baan | 1.9 KM | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
|
From
22
to
34
|
1187 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northeast on Kalbergseweg | 672 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hoevestraat | 515 M | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
24
|
1312 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Hoevestraat | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 24 | 0 M | ||
|
From
24
to
88
|
1262 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head south on Wethouder van Dijklaan | 1 KM | ||
| Turn right to stay on Wethouder van Dijklaan | 225 M | ||
| You are now at section 88 | 0 M | ||
|
From
88
to
19
|
3055 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head east on Wethouder van Dijklaan | 2.1 KM | ||
| Continue onto Vijf Eiken | 906 M | ||
| You are now at section 19 | 0 M | ||
|
From
19
to
42
|
178 M | 0.2 KM | |
| Head south on Oosterhoutseweg | 178 M | ||
| You are now at section 42 | 0 M | ||
|
From
42
to
32
|
4892 M | 4.9 KM | |
| Head southeast on Oosterhoutseweg | 753 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Rijksweg | 8 M | ||
| Turn left | 30 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Heideweg | 3.2 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Lijndonk | 890 M | ||
| You are now at section 32 | 0 M | ||
|
From
32
to
11
|
1694 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head south on Lijndonk | 262 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 38 M | ||
| Turn right | 296 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Molenschotsedijk | 145 M | ||
| Turn left | 593 M | ||
| Turn left | 43 M | ||
| Turn right | 275 M | ||
| Continue straight | 42 M | ||
| You are now at section 11 | 0 M | ||
|
From
11
to
54
|
3328 M | 3.3 KM | |
| Head east on Warande | 718 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 205 M | ||
| Turn right | 218 M | ||
| Continue onto Nerhoven | 294 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hultenseweg | 25 M | ||
| Continue onto Hultenseweg | 466 M | ||
| Turn left onto Wijkevoort | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Van Diedeghemstraat | 191 M | ||
| You are now at section 54 | 0 M | ||
|
From
54
to
43
|
1942 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head north on Hultenseweg | 372 M | ||
| Continue right onto Vlodroppad | 325 M | ||
| Turn left onto Rijksweg | 351 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hulteneindsestraat | 894 M | ||
| You are now at section 43 | 0 M | ||
|
From
43
to
1
|
875 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head west on Schaijkpad | 875 M | ||
| You are now at section 01 | 0 M | ||
|
From
1
to
71
|
1345 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head northeast on Broekdijk | 1.3 KM | ||
| You are now at section 71 | 0 M | ||
|
From
71
to
19
|
3688 M | 3.7 KM | |
| Head northwest on Zwarte Dijk | 1.3 KM | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Zwarte Dijk | 48 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Hannie Schaftlaan | 202 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zwarte Dijk | 7 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Zwarte Dijk | 355 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Laagstraat | 39 M | ||
| Turn right onto Tuinstraat | 1.5 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Oranjeplein | 112 M | ||
| Turn left onto Nassaulaan | 100 M | ||
| You are now at section 19 | 0 M | ||
|
From
19
to
40
|
552 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head northwest on Oosterhoutseweg | 552 M | ||
| You are now at section 40 | 0 M | ||
|
From
40
to
52
|
3564 M | 3.6 KM | |
| Head southeast on Oosterhoutseweg | 8 M | ||
| Turn left | 52 M | ||
| Turn right | 55 M | ||
| Turn left onto Statenlaan | 231 M | ||
| Turn left onto Statenlaan | 25 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on Statenlaan | 326 M | ||
| Turn left | 360 M | ||
| Turn right | 774 M | ||
| Turn right | 250 M | ||
| Continue onto Klein Oosterhout | 1.1 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Dongenseweg | 358 M | ||
| You are now at section 52 | 0 M | ||
|
From
52
to
30
|
2700 M | 2.7 KM | |
| Head east on Steenovensebaan | 13 M | ||
| Turn left onto Dongenseweg | 886 M | ||
| Continue straight | 96 M | ||
| Continue onto Hespelpad | 499 M | ||
| Continue straight | 814 M | ||
| Continue onto Spaarnelaan | 96 M | ||
| Turn left | 18 M | ||
| Continue onto Doelstraat | 278 M | ||
| You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
|
From
30
to
3
|
678 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head west on Groenstraat | 678 M | ||
| You are now at section 03 | 0 M | ||
|
From
3
to
4
|
3131 M | 3.1 KM | |
| Head southeast | 33 M | ||
| Turn left | 16 M | ||
| Continue onto Heistraat | 711 M | ||
| Turn left onto Berkenstraat | 1.8 KM | ||
| Continue straight | 6 M | ||
| Turn left | 111 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Hoogstraat | 490 M | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
|
From
4
to
2
|
3026 M | 3 KM | |
| Head west on Hoogstraat | 459 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 70 M | ||
| Turn left | 20 M | ||
| Turn left | 17 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Ridderstraat | 318 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Ridderstraat | 118 M | ||
| Turn right onto Keiweg | 266 M | ||
| Turn left onto De Braak | 89 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on De Braak | 66 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on De Braak | 101 M | ||
| Turn right to stay on De Braak | 65 M | ||
| Turn right onto Arendstraat | 193 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Laan | 123 M | ||
| Turn left onto Sint Janstraat | 151 M | ||
| Turn right onto Prins Frederikstraat | 159 M | ||
| Turn right | 14 M | ||
| Turn left | 24 M | ||
| Turn left | 44 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Strijenstraat | 263 M | ||
| Turn left onto Van Liedekerkestraat | 466 M | ||
| You are now at section 02 | 0 M | ||
|
From
2
to
69
|
1259 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Wilhelminalaan | 1.2 KM | ||
| Keep left onto Wilhelminalaan | 42 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 19 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Burgemeester Huijbregts-Schiedonlaan | 33 M | ||
| You are now at section 69 | 0 M | ||
|
From
69
to
94
|
2445 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head north on Burgemeester Huijbregts-Schiedonlaan | 650 M | ||
| Turn left | 37 M | ||
| Turn left | 3 M | ||
| Turn right | 72 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Vrachelsestraat | 361 M | ||
| Turn left onto Vrachelsestraat | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Houtse Heuvel | 167 M | ||
| You are now at section 94 | 0 M | ||
|
From
94
to
92
|
1561 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head south on Ruiterspoor | 1.6 KM | ||
| You are now at section 92 | 0 M | ||
|
From
92
to
91
|
3725 M | 3.7 KM | |
| Head south on Bergsebaan | 432 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Bergsebaan | 7 M | ||
| Turn left onto Pannenhuisstraat | 22 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn right | 467 M | ||
| Turn left onto Vrachelseheide | 1.3 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Oude Bredasebaan | 164 M | ||
| Make a slight right | 22 M | ||
| You are now at section 91 | 0 M |