Camperplaats De Vleu

The primeval landscapes of De Maashorst nature reserve (10 minutes’ drive) make for superb hiking among the Bedaf drifting dunes, heathland and woodland. Fauna-wise, you can expect to see Exmoor ponies grazing alongside black Tauros cattle, and perhaps the occasional carefully protected bison. Badgers, foxes and butterflies are common sightings too, so remember to take binoculars with you. Cyclists can whizz down flat paths towards Bernheze (half an hour by bike) to visit majestic Heeswijk Castle (40 minutes), or head for Meierijstad and row a boat around the lake in leafy Kienehoef Park (45 minutes). You can also follow a former railway line from Veghel (20 minutes) that once connected The Netherlands with Germany; today you can pedal over remnants of railway bridges and past old stations. Does history fascinate you? Book ahead to visit Duinhove Rural Museum (10 minutes’ walk) to check out farming utensils and period rooms found in rural Brabant, or head for the Krona Museum (half an hour) in the grounds of a monastery, where you can see a mix of religious and contemporary art and potter around the herb garden.