De Mortel combines a distinctive historic centre with an agricultural landscape of woods, fields and stream valleys. Numerous cycling and walking routes add to the experience of the village. Key features include the triangular village square, the Church of St Anthony Abbot and the history of a peregrine falcon site. An old boundary post, a geological change in elevation and activities on a farm also give your stay a variety of possible focuses.
Village Centre and Architectural History
The historic village centre is defined by a triangular square, also known as a “plaetse”. The Church of St Anthony Abbot was built in 1904 to a design by Caspar Franssen. The present building is neo-Gothic and made of red brick with bands of yellow bricks. Together with the square, the church offers a tangible starting point for exploring the village’s architectural history. Two old school buildings in De Mortel are also worth seeing.
Another historic landmark is Paal Achter ’t Zand, an old boundary post between Gemert and Bakel. It is located in a sandy area of shifting dunes. At the Peelrandbreuk near Hogen Aarle, the fault line creates a two-metre difference in elevation over a distance of 100 metres. These details connect local history and landscape through different traces: a boundary marker here, a geological change there.
Cycling and Walking Routes in the Area
If you want to explore De Mortel outdoors, there are numerous cycling and walking routes to choose from. The Mortels Ommetje cycling route passes through the Stippelberg nature area. One named walking option is the Trage Tocht de Mortel. The route version dated 12 May 2026 starts at the Church of St Anthony Abbot. Along the route, a narrow footpath follows the surprisingly winding Esperloop heathland stream; trail conditions can vary in wet weather.
The cycling route and walk offer different experiences: Mortels Ommetje passes through the Stippelberg nature area, while the Trage Tocht highlights the path along the Esperloop.
The History of the Peregrine Falcon Site
In spring 2004, a pair of peregrine falcons first stayed on and around De Mortel’s 127-metre-high transmission mast. In 2005, a pair successfully nested there for the first time. The site was the first in the Netherlands, and possibly in Europe, where a pair of peregrine falcons could be observed live in their nest. The cautious qualification of its status as a European first is part of this story.
In 2005, it also became possible to watch the peregrine falcons’ activities and the chicks growing up live on the internet. Online live observation thus became part of the history of the peregrine falcon site. Those interested in nature observation and its history will therefore find a different way to experience De Mortel here than through village architecture or walking routes.
Fair and Farm Experiences
The annual fair takes place on the weekend of the last Sunday in June. As the exact dates can vary from year to year, check the dates for the relevant year before visiting. This makes it easy to distinguish the fair weekend from a stay outside the fair period.
Op Den Hoek in De Mortel has a cheese shop for visitors. You can also book a tour and/or tasting of the nature-inclusive farm and the cheeses made there. Op Den Hoek organises a variety of seasonal activities throughout the year. Check in advance whether your preferred tour or tasting is available. The farm, cheese and seasonal events therefore add to the options for a visit, while offering a different kind of outing from the routes or the historic village centre.
Discover more destinations: Handel, De Rips, Elsendorp, Gemert, Milheeze, Bakel.
Go to the main travel overview: Gemert-Bakel.
