Lively Leende
Leende, the sgônste plats
Leende
On the way to the South, you cannot avoid Leende. This pleasant Brabant village is full of life and has a huge green backyard: the Leenderbos.
In the heart of the village stands the imposing church with its gigantic tower, decimeters thick walls and spherical spire: the 'Lindse blaos'. A clear and lasting landmark for anyone who has ever visited Leende.
Under the tower, club life buzzes with many sporting, cultural and musical activities. The annual calendar is well filled with events ranging from concours hippique to open-air theater, annual market and fair. Scattered around the village you will find cafes and restaurants with cozy terraces. Those who do not want to go home again can stay overnight in hotels and B&Bs.
In terms of land area, Leende consists largely of nature and farmland. The Leenderbos is part of Nature Border Park De Groote Heide, which stretches from Eindhoven to across the Belgian border. Here you can enjoy endless biking, hiking or horseback riding.
Enjoy the rich variety of deciduous and coniferous forests, fens and heaths. Behind every bend lurks another vista. Of course there is ample opportunity to rest; in silence on a bench or in good company on one of the many terraces.
Visit Leende by bicycle or on foot. Enjoy hospitality and entertainment amid endless greenery.
D'n Lindse Blaos
In the center of Leende stands the beautiful Gothic cross basilica St. Petrus Bandenkerk with the special knob tower.
The church dates from the fifteenth century. The tower is crowned with a bladed sphere - the 'blaos' - and carries four bells. The church houses an organ by the Mechelen organ builder Loret. A guided tour of the church tower is available.
St. Petrus' Banden Church
Dorpstraat 50
Leende
Old Brewery
't Brouwershuis in Leende opened its doors as a brewery in 1815. For over a century beer was made here. Now the building is used as a catering establishment with a tourist information center. Both inside and outside you can soak up the atmosphere of days gone by. Definitely a nice place to take a closer look while enjoying a locally brewed beer.
The Brewery
Oostrikkerdijk 1
Leende
A souvenir from the ice age
A pingo is a spherical mound created in an area of permafrost. As frozen groundwater expands, it lifts the top layer of the mound.
The soil layer cracks and the ice beneath it thaws. The mound collapses, creating a kind of crater that can fill with water. In this way, a ring fen is created.
The Klein Hasselven in the Leenderbos is such a pingoruin. In the middle of the fen is an island of living raised bog. Around it a narrow ring of water. A special natural phenomenon that you really should go and see with your own eyes!
Little Hasselven
Leenderbos
This is how the sails go...
In 1940 the standerdmolen of Leende was destroyed by a violent storm. At the end of the eighties a new mill was built according to the example of the old one, but a bit smaller. Old techniques and traditional tools were used. It was also possible to reuse many parts of the old mill. In 2012 the mill was blessed and since last year it can actually be milled.
Standerdmolen
Kapelstraat
Leende
Freshly brewed beer
The Achelse Kluis is located on the border between the Belgian town of Hamont-Achel and the Dutch town of Leende in a spacious nature reserve of fields, woods and heathland. The area is bisected by the Warmbeek, as they say in Belgium or the Tongelreep, which is the Dutch name for this river.
The Achelse Kluis
The Lock 1
Hamont-Achel (Belgium)
The Leenderbos
The Leenderbos is a beautiful forest area in Heeze-Leende, North Brabant, the Netherlands. The forest covers 2,400 hectares and is part of the nature reserve De Groote Heide. The forest has diverse landscapes, including coniferous forests, deciduous forests, heaths and fens. Visitors can enjoy hiking and biking trails, playing fields and picnic areas. The forest offers educational opportunities and is home to a variety of animals, including red deer, roe deer, foxes and birds. A popular destination for nature lovers, the Leenderbos offers a serene and inspiring experience in pristine nature.
More about the Leenderbos
A Local Linden delicacy
The Brokmop, a cube-shaped aniseed pastry from Leende. This unique delicacy is baked according to a secret recipe by local bakers, a tradition that dates back to before WWII. The highlight of the Brokmop experience is the folkloric annual market, also called Lind Mèrt, during mid-Lent, where the pastry is sold exclusively by the local bakery. Its origins date back to baker Piet van de Ven in 1657 and the secret recipe has been passed down from generation to generation. Although the original recipe is not known, many Leenden residents try to bake it themselves. The Brokmop even inspired a cabaret group that took a humorous approach to local and national politics. In 2008, a liquid variant, Brokmöpke, was developed as an anise liqueur, which unfortunately is no longer sold at annual fairs, but is available at local liquor stores. Discover the sweet secrets of Leende by tasting this unique delicacy.
make your own brokmop?
Discover the padel courts in Leende!
Are you a sports enthusiast? Then don't miss a visit to the padel courts in Leende! This is a place where sport, fun and sociability come together. Padel, a fast-growing racket sport, is suitable for all ages and levels. Ideal for families, friends and colleagues. The new padel courts opened in spring 2024 offer the perfect opportunity to be active in the morning, afternoon and evening. Whether you want to play competitively or for fun, there is always place for this.
Book one of the padel courts on the local tennis association's website.
Reserve a padel court
Leende's forgotten aircraft dream
The story all started with Harry van Kuyk, a visionary entrepreneur who had the dream of starting an aircraft factory after the liberation of the Netherlands in 1945.
It started as a bold idea in 1941, while Harry peered at the condensation streaks of Allied aircraft, but it ended with a remarkable chapter in Leende's history.
In the summer of 1942, Harry began secretly designing and building aircraft on a site on the road from Eindhoven to Weert. This airfield, which he christened "Haviksoord", was built under the guise of "reclamation". H After the liberation in 1945, the airfield was actively used.
In 1945, Harry and his son Joos unveiled their plans for the aircraft factory and started building gliders. The site served as a primitive emergency factory, but electricity had to be generated with a diesel generator. From 8 to 15 September 1945, they even organised the first National Glider Camp after liberation, where Frits Philips performed the opening ceremony.
Despite their efforts, Harry van Kuyk and his son received no cooperation from the Dutch government for serial aircraft manufacturing. In 1946, they moved to Papendrecht near Dordrecht to cooperate with the aircraft factory "Aviolande". The dream of a local aircraft industry in Leende went up in smoke.
The Haviksoord site was repurposed as a golf course in 1975. The story of the aircraft manufacturing and gliding club in Leende faded with time, but it remains an intriguing and forgotten chapter in Leende's local history.
Read more about Haviksoord
The plague in Leende
In the canals of Leende, there are numerous stories of calamity that affected the community. Amid war stories and other historical accounts, the plague of 1637 stands prominently, a dark period that left deep scars. This plague, represented as a lurid damsel dressed in a death robe, swept through Europe and also reached Leende. The plague, originally from Africa, broke out violently in 1637, especially in Antwerp.
According to the chronicles of parish priest Jacob Joan van den Broucke, who served Leende for 47 years, the town was hit hard that year. The plague claimed 366 lives and forced the inhabitants into despair. In an attempt to escape the disease, Leendeans fled to swampy areas along the river "the Aa", which became known as "Plague Fields". Even north of Leende, in the "Ziggen", a similar refuge is said to have existed.
In the aftermath of this tragedy, distinctive names emerged on old field maps, such as "lijkweg" or "lijkstraat", presumably used for transporting the dead to avoid contamination. However, the "lijkstraat" from Leende to Strijp disappeared during the 1960 land consolidation.
The parish priest, described in Leende's archives, recommended clearing the air and burying the corpses deep. The population took precautions, using scented bags and avoiding spoiled air. Eating dry, pungent foods was recommended and people stressed the importance of exercising without excessive fatigue.
Despite these measures, plague still became a frightening reality, with symptoms including chills, bile vomiting, internal spasms and excessive sweating with cold limbs. However, the parish priest stressed that one should not despair, as even saints had died of the plague.
The lore of this dark period, including the flight to "Plague Fields", has survived to this day.
Read more about the plague in leende