The second route in North Brabant is shorter than part 1 but it does contain five castles and an estate, so you will need your time again. This time you go from south to north and you start in Heeze at a castle from the 17th century.

Heeze Castle, Kapelstraat 25, 5591 HC Heeze
Heeze Castle is one of the last inhabited castles in the Netherlands. The current castle is a stately building, moated on three sides, from 1660-1665. It was designed by Pieter Post, and was actually intended as the front building of the actual castle. Around 1800, the room above the gate entrance was converted into an oval music room. The arms of the Van Tuyll van Serooskerken and Van Westreenen families were also applied at that time. These replaced the family coat of arms of Snoeckaert van Schauburg. The complex also includes various outbuildings from 1735. Although the castle is inhabited, it can be visited. It contains about thirty rooms, a number of which are beautiful period rooms. Mention may be made of a remarkable bathroom with a rare bathtub, a Gobelin room with 17th century Gobelins, including some depicting scenes from the life of Alexander the Great. There are also some beautiful fireplaces to admire.

A stone's throw away in Geldrop is another castle, unfortunately nothing can be seen from the road, but the park is accessible and has many vistas.

Geldrop Castle, Helze 8, 5662 JG Geldrop
The first inhabitants of the castle that you encounter in the archives are Philip and Jan van Geldrop, who built the castle around 1350. For the next two centuries the castle was owned by the Van Horne family, but it was hardly inhabited. Around 1600, Amandus van Horne settled in a residential tower right next to the castle. In 1616 he had the medieval ruins renovated. This high house, with characteristic stepped gables, now forms the middle part of the current castle; on the canal side, the date 1616 can still be found in the wall anchors. Geldrop Castle was located in a swampy area that was difficult to access. That is why the walls are not very thick. Protection against unwanted intruders was obtained by the construction of several canal belts around the complex. Some of these can still be found in the park. Many weddings and classical concerts are currently taking place in the castle and an Antiquity Room has been set up in the attic. Here you can see various archaeological objects and other sights from the Geldrop region of the past centuries.

Because you are in a fairly urban part of Brabant, you go to Helmond as an exception to the rule for a real city castle.

Helmond Castle, Castle Square 1, 5701 PP Helmond
The construction of the current castle started around 1325. This served to replace an older castle (known as 't Oude Huys), which stood a few hundred meters west of the current castle, and of which excavations in 1981 have revealed the foundations of a stone keep and objects. In 1921, the property of the castle was transferred to the municipality of Helmond by the widow of the last lord of the manor, Carel Frederik Wesselman van Helmond, Jkvr Anna Maria de Jonge van Zwijnsbergen and her two daughters, on the condition that the castle was only used for the benefit of the municipal administration. or intended for other public benefit. After a thorough renovation, the castle was taken into use as a town hall from 1923. The space became too small in the 1970s. A new town hall was opened. Of the municipal functions, 2 wedding halls and the council chamber remained in use. In 2001 the council chamber moved to a new location in nearby Boscotondo. Museum Helmond has been located in the castle since 1982. The castle is also used as a wedding location.

If you continue on the road and leave the built-up area of Helmond, you will soon reach the next castle in Aarle-Rixtel.

Croy Castle, Croylaan 14, 5735 PC Aarle-Rixtel
The castle of Croy is a disused castle in Aarle-Rixtel, which comes under the municipality of Laarbeek. The oldest parts of Croy Castle probably date from the mid-15th century. In 1990 the inside of the castle was thoroughly restored and turned into an office. It is no longer inhabited, but nowadays houses a number of companies.

You continue the route in a northeasterly direction. After 70 km on the route you will pass a country house in the municipality of Cuijk.

Estate Ossenbroek, Heuf 20, 5437 NA Beers
The area, formerly consisting of heath and wasteland, was reclaimed in the period 1750 - 1800. Among other things, forests were created with a system of oak avenues. House Ossenbroek was also built at that time, consisting of a mansion and a farm part. The house was extensively renovated in 1850. A new restoration took place in 1970, but the layout was completely modernized and the farm part with the mansion were merged into one house. At the beginning of the 20th century, a new renovation took place, partly restoring the situation of 1850. The house was again split into two parts.

After about 80 km you reach the Kraaijenbergse Plassen. The lakes have been created since 1968 by the extraction of industrial sand, gravel and clay. You follow the lakes and then go south-west again in the direction of Uden, where you drive underneath to Heeswijk for the last castle of this route

Heeswijk Castle, Castle 4, 5473 VA Heeswijk Dinther
Heeswijk Castle is a former moated castle from the 11th century. As early as 1080, a predecessor of the current castle, a so-called motte-and-bailey castle, was built. In the course of the Middle Ages, the motte (castle hill) was flattened and a castle was built on the site of the castle. Willem Van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge died in 1974. His widow, Albertine Van den Bogaerde van Terbrugge, established the Heeswijk Castle Foundation in 1976. This foundation has been the full owner of the castle since 1987. There are no longer any noble inhabitants. The castle was last restored in 2005. The current castle museum gives a picture of the living situation and the collecting tradition from the middle of the 19th century. The Armory Hall of the castle serves as the official wedding location of the municipality of Bernheze.

After this castle you drive a bit further to cafeteria/restaurant De Driezeeg in Middelrode.