Hut-to-hut trekking through North Brabant

Starting Point: Baarle-Nassau

As a native of Groningen, I don’t visit the southern part of the country as often as I’d like. The long drive across the Netherlands, with some good music and a cup of tea from a gas station, always evokes a vacation feeling. In Baarle-Nassau, we park the car, lace up our hiking boots, and hoist our backpacks onto our backs. Our three-day hike along two hiker’s cabins is about to begin. Using the Komoot app, I mapped out a route that stays mostly in the green.

The dust particles from the sandy path leading us into the countryside stick to my sunscreen-covered legs. The leaves of the trees form a green canopy over the trail. Fallen plums lie along the path, which we quickly gather and snack on as we walk. This is how the Dutch summer should feel to me. We alternate walking through the forest, between various crops, and along rugged wetland areas. A reconstructed stretch of the border from World War I reminds us that the peace and quiet we are experiencing here haven’t always been a given.

In a qooden cabin just outside chaam

Over twenty kilometers from our starting point, we reach Natuurkampeerterrein ‘t Beekdal. My feet and legs are tired, but my mind is clearer than it has been for weeks. The rhythm of walking, the focus on nature, and having no other demands brings calm. At the green campsite, a two-person hiker’s cabin awaits us. With a cup of tea in hand, we sit down to enjoy the view of the campsite and the meadows behind it, where horses graze. With our feet up, we savor the tranquility before preparing a simple meal and getting to bed early.

Heath and meadows

With tight muscles from the previous day's hike, we happily leave the campsite. We head towards the village of Chaam, where we stop by the bakery for fresh rolls and coffee to start the day. Now we’re truly ready, and we walk out of the village. A friendly, older local teaches us how to properly pronounce "Chaam," and we walk into the green landscape with peace of mind. Long lanes lead us through naturally looking forests with dense undergrowth. The forest alternates with heathlands of birches and tall, yellow grass. Our favorite spot along the route is recreation lake ‘t Zand, where we cool off in the refreshing water. Floating in the water, we look at the trees surrounding the lake, and after the long walk we took to get here, it feels like we’re far away from the inhabited world.

Photogenic A-frame hiker’s cabin

From the forest, we walk directly to the site with our second hiker’s cabin. Here, at Kijk op de Kieck, there’s only one cabin—a charming A-frame with views of the meadow and the forest. From the terrace, you can hear the birds chirping and the owner's horses quietly neighing and wandering around. Outside, a fire pit and a pile of wood are ready for us. Under a blanket on the terrace, we enjoy our simple meal, reflecting on how nice this simplified way of living is. As darkness falls, the string lights around the A-frame light up, creating a romantic atmosphere in the cabin. The bed ingeniously pulls out from the bathroom floor, and it's so comfortable that I fall asleep within five minutes, only to wake up ten hours later.

Back to Baarle-Nassau

After a leisurely breakfast on the terrace, we pack our bags for the final day of our three-day adventure. Today, we complete the loop, returning to the car. The navigation app guides us through Landgoed de Hoevens, a 190-hectare nature reserve. As we walk, we admire the hedgerows, streams, historic farms, and natural meadows. In this Kempen landscape, I feel completely at home, much more than in the monocultures and industrial farms we’ll pass on the way back to the car. This day’s route takes us through the best and the worst of what Brabant has to offer. The beautiful spots leave me craving more, and as we head back north, I’m already planning my next hike in Brabant.

Would you like to walk this route yourself? You can find my route here.