During this route you will be taken along by a lot of greenery, lying in the Brabant and Limburg countryside. Along the way you often pass small villages and towns and many nature reserves. The only larger cities on this route are Venlo and Helmond, but that does not make this trip any less attractive.

You leave at McDonalds in Geldrop.
Geldrop, the city known for its former textile industry, but even more for the Peijnenburg gingerbread. Unfortunately, there is no longer a textile industry, but the Koninklijke Peijnenburg gingerbread factory, in the center of Geldrop, can still be found there.
After departure, your route runs through Heeze, known for its beautiful center and its Castle, followed by the Strabrechtse Heide, just outside the bowl, in the direction of Someren.
This is also a place where we take some time to visit the beautiful Witven. Park in the parking lot and walk to Witven on the other side of the provincial road.
Then you continue via the Peel villages of Someren and Asten to the beautiful peat cutters village of Helenaveen. Here you have a short stopover while enjoying a 'Bekske Koffie' (cup of coffee) at Restaurant 'in d'Ouwe Peel' located next to the Helenavaart.
Helenaveen and the surrounding area is known for peat cutting, which used to take place there between 1853 and 1884. Due to the greater demand for energy and partly due to the emergence of coal, the demand for peat decreased.
This area later became a nature reserve.
What should not be missed is the Family Amusement Park 'Toverland' a little further on.
This amusement park is the youngest amusement park in the Netherlands. It opened in 2001 but has since grown into a medium-sized amusement park for young and old. You will see 'Toverland' on your left when you drive on the main road.
You then continue towards Venlo where you continue your journey along the Maas via the center. Here you will also find the part of the Meuse that makes many shudder at high tide because of the flooding. You make a short stop there to view the Maas.
Further north you will pass through many small villages, such as Genooi, Het Vorst, Hasselt and Lomm, in the beautiful castle village of Arcen, which is known for its Castle Gardens and the 'Brouwerij Hertog Jan'. 'Brouwerij Hertog Jan' is an old brewery, started by four brewer friends, which was later taken over by the AB InBev chain, but has maintained the old brewery rituals of the past.
If you are interested, there is a possibility for a tour here and you can buy many special beers in the shop.
You can even buy personally registered bottled beer at this brewery and have it stored with them for years. Always nice as a gift.
We will have lunch at Hotel-Restaurant Rooland. You will find this restaurant along the Venlo-Bergen provincial road just outside Arcen. This restaurant is part of the well-known Fletcher chain and is located near the holiday park 'Roompot Klein vink' and the famous 'Termaalbad Arcen'.
After lunch you drive towards the nature park 'Maasduien National Park'.
This is a strip of nature reserve located against the German border. An area that is known for the many smuggling routes and the connected strip of nature reserves, such as Landgoed de Hamert, Heerenven, Bergen municipal forests, the Groote Muijs, Eckeltse bos, Eendeven, and Broederbosch.
On the way there you will find, on signs along the way, stories about earlier times.
Almost at the end of the Maasduinen park you stop at the Eendenven to enjoy nature and the fen.
After this short stop you continue towards Nieuw-Bergen and Bergen where you cross the Maas at Afferden with the ferry. During the crossing over the Maas there is an opportunity to stretch your legs and enjoy the water.
After the crossing you pass the forest area 'Hondberg' near Stevensbeek and continue towards Westerbeek.
From there you descend via the Rips towards Helmond.
On the way you drive through the large forest area 'Beestenveld', 'Stippelberg' and 'Nederheide'. Finally, on the edge of Helmond, you have a short view of the 'Bakelse Bos' and then the inhabited world is soon in sight again.

You have actually had the most beautiful part of the route. The last part goes through Helmond and you drive towards Mierlo where, located in the Luchense forest between Mierlo and Geldrop, you have a view of the 'Mierlo War Cemetery'. The cemetery was founded in the spring of 1945, around the end of the Second World War. This cemetery contains 665 victims.
After that, the final destination is quickly in sight at McDonalds in Geldrop.