The best walks and hikes around Boekel

a beautiful church, especially in May

On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of Handel, the historical boundary posts have been replaced. For centuries, they not only indicated the border between our beautiful village of Handel and neighbouring Boekel, but in earlier times you also passed the national border at these posts. The Commandery of Gemert was for centuries a sovereign Lordship that was governed by the German Order of Knights. And even before the Gemert castle was built, those German Knights had their residence in the medieval Hoeve Handel. Beyond these boundary posts you entered the Land of Ravenstein, which at the time fell under the rule of the Elector Duke of Palatinate Neuburg. So at the time they were real national borders.

The procession park, located behind the church. The Rosary Road was constructed in the outer ring of the procession park, along which fifteen neo-Gothic chapels with scenes from the life of Mary were placed between 1906 and 1910. A winding Way of the Cross was constructed in the inner ring. The fourteen stations were made 1918-1919.

Nature center De Specht, an information and nature education center. The Nature Center aims to actively provide nature education to adults and children. The Nature Center is located in a flowery landscape with a butterfly meadow. There is a small watchtower, a water hole, a wall as an insect hotel, and a bat bunker, which houses a large population of bats. Hikes especially for children also start here.

The namesake of the hamlet, named after the religious institution that was founded there in 1742. The history begins in 1694 with hermit Hogaert Verhofstad in Handel, who joined the Brothers Penitents and played a role in local religious life. In 1742 they moved to Boekel, where Huize Padua was founded and where they engaged in education and crafts. In 1826 the institute started caring for psychiatric patients and is now part of GGZ Oost-Brabant.

A place for daytime activities, individual guidance and coaching programs for young people (18+) and adults.

On May 18, 2021, the Lourdes Grotto was moved in its entirety to the garden of St. Agatha's Church using a heavy crane. The statue of Mary was restored and then replaced. On August 11, 2022, Godelieve de Weerd took these photos of this Lourdes Grotto in its new location.

In the 13th century Boekel was part of the manor of Uden. In 1233 a division took place between the Land of Cuijk and the Land of Herpen and Uden. During that period, Uden, together with Herpen, formed one manor. Herpen remained the capital of this country until the foundation of the town of Ravenstein. Rutger van Herpen sold or leased common land to residents of Boekel and Volkel in 1313 or 1314. When the noble lord wanted to improve his liquid position, he issued the right to use some of his lands in return for payment, starting with the wastelands within his lordship. When considering these common lands, one should mainly think of swampy lands and infertile higher lands, such as heathlands.