This walk starts at node 11, close to the church in Grashoek. Leaving the built-up area in a northerly direction, you soon walk through an area filled with pine woods, plots of birch, patches of bunt grass and a few oaks. In this quiet area the occasional bird makes itself heard, but the other inhabitants of the forest are not easily seen.
Helena canal
You come to the edge of the Helenavaart. This canal and the village on the other side are both named after Helena, the wife of Jan van der Griendt: one of the reclaimers of a large area around Helenaveen. The canal was dug about 140 years ago and served both the drainage of the peat bog and the transport route for the excavated peat.
The Helenavaart is home to a large number of beavers. Near junction 90, clear gnaw marks can be seen on the trees. You might even spot a beaver dam during your walk!
Belgenhoek
The path runs along this canal for a while, until you follow another path into the beautiful countryside. Here, you are surrounded by fields and meadows. This area is also called Belgenhoek. This name comes from the Belgian workers who helped dig the Helena canal. They were housed here.
Further on, there is a stone column, which looks like a road marking from Roman times. This is one of the nine columns that were placed in 2014 to mark the possible route of a Roman road between Meijel and Sevenum.
At junction 73 you will find a monument in memory of the Lancaster bomber, which was shot down here in 1943. Seven crew members were killed.
When you reach the end of the pine forest you come to the edge of a meadow. Here you have a beautiful view of the church of Grashoek.
Follow: 11, 66, 84, 70, 68, 90, 89, 91, 86, 73, 74, 75, 10, 14, 15, 11