A visit to Museum Klok & Peel is about more than just looking: the museum is home to the world’s largest collection of bells and carillons; visitors can ring a bell and play a carillon themselves. The Peel collection broadens the picture with prehistoric fossils and a mammoth skeleton. The history of sound and prehistoric finds offer two clearly distinct ways to explore the museum.
Bells, castle and milling technology
The tower of the Heilige Maria Presentatiekerk in Asten also houses a carillon, this time with 57 bells. It includes the Mariaglocke bell, dating from 1447. Church tours also explain the 1848 pulpit, the stained-glass windows and the oak Calvary group, considered the church’s oldest artwork. This lets you experience a carillon both as part of a large collection and as a feature of a specific church building.
Kasteel Asten is a ruin and a Rijksmonument with a rich history. Guided tours last 90 minutes, follow the walls and moat, and share stories about the castle. A QR-code route around the estate offers another way to explore the site. Since tour packages may change, it is advisable to check the current visitor options.
The De Oostenwind windmill dates back to 1506; its original post has survived from that time. The mill is also a Rijksmonument. Its miller welcomes visitors and explains the historic milling technology. Alongside the history of the castle and church, this offers a chance to explore a tangible piece of technical heritage.
Ommel: Park history and walks
The Processiepark Ommel was established on 13 April 1914 at the request of Pastor van de Pas. The park features a Calvary hill, a Lourdes grotto, 14 Stations of the Cross and six chapels depicting the story of the statue of Mary. Tours of the park can be booked through the Asten tourist office; check the current options when planning your visit.
The Ommels Ommetje shares the history of Ommel along the way. There is a three-kilometre village walk and a five-kilometre option that takes a detour through nature. After leaving the church square, the route passes the adjacent Processiepark. The starting point is opposite the café, at the information board by junction 46 of the De Peel cycle network.
The Kunstwandeling Asten-centrum offers a different perspective on Asten: the walk through the town centre is three kilometres long and takes one hour. It passes works of art, for which short descriptions are available; a guided tour is also possible. The walks therefore differ not only in length but also in focus: Ommel’s village history and park contrast with the art in the centre of Asten.
Wetlands, river and woodland trails
The Brabant section of the Groote Peel lies within the municipality of Asten. The Groote Peel is internationally recognised as a wetland and has been a national park since 1993. Its significance also reaches into local history: for centuries, peat cutters from Asten went there to cut peat. Here, landscape and past labour are closely connected.
In the Astense Aa nature area near Ommel, the river meanders for two kilometres. The area along the Astense Aa is freely accessible via roads and paths. The In de ban van de Astense Aa route is approximately 8.8 kilometres long and starts between Berken 5 and 9 in Ommel. If you are planning around the approximate distance, treat it as a guide.
Cyclists will also find clear directions: the Natuurhistorisch Asten cycle route is 24 kilometres long and marked with hexagonal signs. It passes a botanical garden behind the church in Asten-Heusden, which is open to visitors free of charge. The Dennendijkse Bossen cover approximately 300 hectares and are known as an area for walking and cycling. Toeristisch Asten also provides route planners for cycling, walking and mountain biking.
More discoveries in Asten
At Puur Geitenzuivel in Heusden, a visit offers an insight into an organic goat farm. Visitors learn how milk is made into goat’s milk products and cheese, and finish by tasting a selection of the farm’s own products. A guided tour is required for the visit, but availability may change.
At the Jan-Paagman Observatory, the Gé-Pieterse Planetarium shows more than 5,000 stars and can display Venus, Mercury and Mars. Fairs take place every year during the summer months in Asten, Heusden and Ommel. Exact dates and programmes vary from year to year, so it is worth checking the relevant year’s details when planning.
Discover more destinations: Asten, Ommel, Heusden Gem Asten, Vught, Oirschot, Heusden, Haaren, Nuenen, Gerwen En Nederwetten.
For the regional travel overview: North Brabant.
