De Zwarte Schuur | Pannenhoef (outdoor room 'The Black Barn')

Between Rijsbergen, Zundert, Etten-Leur and Sprundel lies a unique and valuable nature reserve of over 700 hectares. Woods, fens, avenues, streams and flowery meadows characterize the Pannenhoef. Brabants Landschap has set up an outdoor room in the black barn. The Buitenlokaal has been created for everyone who wants to go outside in an organized manner. Such an outdoor classroom is an ideal starting point for any excursion or school activity.

Open every third Sunday of the month from April to October from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Pannenhoef
De Pannenhoef is located between Rijsbergen, Zundert and Sprundel. From the 14th to ^{the 17th} century peat was extracted in this part of Brabant. After the high moor was dug away, the area was left to its own devices. Swamp heath developed. From 1800, from the center of the Pannenhoef, the Arendsberg, small-scale reclamation of the heath into forest and cultivated land was started. The management was mainly focused on forestry for the production of mining wood.

The Black Barn
De Zwarte Schuur was built in 1916 and the foreman lived with his family in the bakery next door. In 1923, the Pannenhoef was taken over by the Kölling family from Dieren, who expanded the estate further and had villa De Arendsberg built. In 1970, Brabants Landschap took over the estate. Thanks to nature development, the area is flourishing and the restored fens are a true bird paradise.

'The Turfvaart'
In this area the peat was excavated much earlier than in the much more famous Peel in East Brabant. They started around 1250 and by 1750 everything was finished. Turf canals were dug for transport to the cities, the main one was 'De Turfvaart', with a capital letter, to Breda. The peat went there as fuel for households and breweries. Because people were already very economically minded, the ships returned to the areas to be painted with city fertilizer. Then a start could immediately be made with the reclamation of the heaths that remained after the peat had been removed. In various places, these reclamations were tastefully decorated, with an alternation of cultivated land and forest and the whole intersected with avenues.

Address: Pannenhoef 4, Rijsbergen
Parking: at one of the three parking spaces: Het Vaartven (Pannenhoefsebaan), De Bak (Ettensebaan) and Lokkerberg (Oosteindseweg). From there it is about a 0.5 to 1 kilometer walk to the Zwarte Schuur.

Leaflets available

• Walking brochure 'Fens have disappeared, fens have appeared! '
• Bicycle brochure 'Keep up the (Turf) speed!'