The Eight Beatitudes are eight characteristic villages in the Kempen region whose names end in -sel. What once began as a mocking reference to poor heathland villages grew into a badge of honor that today stands for peace, nature, and Brabant conviviality. We visit them all along this route.

We officially start at the McDonald's in Uden, a spot recommended by the journalists at Motoplus as a practical starting point. But let's be honest: anyone who wants to taste real Brabant conviviality doesn't go for "practical"... You go for conviviality... And then you're better off starting in the center of Uden, where several cafes are marked as POIs. The good life begins there even before you start the route.

From Uden, you drive west along quiet back roads to Vorstenbosch, where the white Windlust windmill immediately stands out. The mill was heightened around 1900 and surrounded by an earthen rampart. During the 2010 restoration, a centuries-old entrance was reopened, and the rampart even gained a hidden toilet facility.

The route continues towards the Kampina, a vast nature reserve of heathland, forest, and streams. The name comes from the Latin campina – “wasteland” – but today it is one of the most beloved nature reserves in Brabant. At Haghorst, you cross Weir IV in the Wilhelmina Canal, the 68-kilometer-long waterway connecting the Zuid-Willemsvaart with the Amer. After that, it is time for a first break in Hilvarenbeek, at Grand Café De Zwaan, which has housed a café since 1628. An ideal spot for a sausage roll or a good cup of coffee with a biscuit.

After your break, not much later you will drive past Landgoed De Utrecht, a vast area created in 1898 by the life insurance company De Utrecht as both a job creation project and an investment. The landscape consists of forests, heathland, fens, and old production forests that now form a beautiful, varied nature reserve. On the estate, you will also find two striking towers: the Brandtoren, once used to detect forest fires early. You can briefly deviate from the route to admire the building from the outside. The second tower, an observation tower, offers a magnificent view over the forests and the heathland. Unfortunately, this requires a bit of a walk. Highly recommended for another time, when you don't have to lug your motorcycle gear around...

After the Estate, the “blissful” part of the ride truly begins. You drive through Netersel, Hulsel, and Reusel, three of the Eight Blessings. The surroundings are typically Kempen: open fields, old farmhouses, and small village centers. A little further on lies Bladel, once a candidate for Blessing, but eventually replaced by Wintersel because the name does not end in -sel.

A short trip across the border takes you to Postel Abbey, where Norbertines have lived and worked for centuries. It is a beautiful place to take a look around. The Abbey's beers are brewed according to Norbertine traditions and are known for their smooth, rounded taste. The Blond, Dubbel, and Tripel form the core of the range, each with its own balance of fruitiness, spiciness, and malty warmth. They pair perfectly with the abbey cheese and other regional products made on the estate. It can get quite busy here in the summer and on weekends, too.

A little later, you cross the border again and can take a break at Herberg In het Wilde Zwijn, an atmospheric spot full of nostalgia and Brabant humor. That humor is reflected throughout the inn's decor. Here, you can enjoy dishes "from grandmother's time," but with a modern twist.
The inn is situated in the middle of the De Kempen nature reserve. In this border region, a lively game used to play out between smugglers and customs officers. De Kempen was poor, the border porous, and creativity great. Smugglers transported butter, tobacco, and spirits through forests and heathlands, always looking for new ways to outsmart the border guards.
They sometimes wore their shoes backwards, so that the footprints pointed in the wrong direction. Others tied burlap sacks under their soles to avoid leaving a print. And when things got really exciting, they let a cow or goat walk ahead to mask their own tracks. It was a game of cat and mouse that sometimes lasted for days—and that still captures the imagination today when you drive through this landscape.

With a full stomach, you drive on past Steensel, Eersel, Duizel, and Knegsel, after which you arrive at the final bliss: Wintelre.

Eindhoven Airport lies nearby, once the grass-field airfield Welschap, which was founded by Frits Philips in 1932. It has since grown into the second-largest airport in the Netherlands, handling millions of travelers annually.

The route ends at De Mispelhoef in Eindhoven, close to the A2 — a nice way to wrap things up after a day full of Brabant impressions.

The Eight Beatitudes represent old Brabant: simple villages, hard ground, proud people, and a landscape shaped by heath, sand, and rural life. What once began as a mocking nickname became a badge of honor that the region is rightfully proud of today.
Hopefully, during this route, you experienced for yourself why these villages — and the border region with its stories of smugglers — hold such a special place in the Brabant landscape and in the heart of everyone who drives through it.