Heathland ponds cycling tour with Gilde Breda

In the Mastbos and the area south of Breda lie some beautiful meres. This route takes you past lovely, often romantic spots. A heathland pond is a small, usually shallow lake found on sandy soils. Heathland ponds have fluctuating water levels and are rarely larger than a few hectares.  Only natural bodies of water are classed as heathland ponds. Especially in the past, heathland ponds were mainly found on heathland. Before 1960, most heathlands were reclaimed, causing many heathland ponds to disappear. When heathland was converted into woodland, the heathland ponds within it were often preserved. Most disappeared in agricultural areas. Peat growth occurred in a very large proportion of the heathland ponds. The cycling guides from Gilde Breda will take you in search of some of these heathland ponds!