Gemert’s history spans a wide range of themes: a castle complex with gardens and parkland, a church associated with the Teutonic Order, and museums depicting historical scenes from the town. Mills, an annual tradition and routes exploring art or the wooded surroundings are among the other options. To help plan your visit, first decide whether you want to focus on architectural history, museums or outdoor activities.
Castle and church: two closely connected historical sites
The construction history of Kasteel Gemert began with a commission in 1391: Commander Henric Reynart van Husen commissioned its construction. The castle was built between 1400 and 1435. The estate has been well preserved in its layout and, in part, in its details. Its listed features include the main building, the historic garden and park, the entrance gate and gatehouse, the outer bailey, a walled kitchen garden and the Libermann Chapel. This variety makes the castle a rich subject for anyone interested in historic estates.
Kasteel van Gemert, the Gemert headquarters of the Teutonic Order, lies directly beside the Church of Sint Jans Onthoofding. The church is closely associated with the Order, is dedicated to John the Baptist and dates from 1437. The castle and church thus offer two distinct but directly connected perspectives on the town’s history: the Order’s estate and the church building. If cultural history is your main focus, it is worth including both in your travel plans.
Two museums, two historical perspectives
The Het MUG Museum focuses on local art from Gemert-Bakel and local history. Its exhibits include models by Harrie van de Wijngaard showing what the street in Gemert looked like at the beginning of the 20th century. These models make changes to the townscape a tangible subject. The museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.; check the opening hours before your visit.
The Boerenbondsmuseum depicts a Brabant village around 1900. Its features include an authentically furnished farmhouse, a village square, craft workshops, a village school and small working factories. While Het MUG looks at Gemert and Gemert-Bakel through local art and local history, the Boerenbondsmuseum takes you into a reconstructed village setting. The Boerenbondsmuseum is easy to reach by car, public transport and bicycle. The two museums therefore offer different points of focus: local history and art at one, village life around 1900 at the other.
Mill, chapel and public art
The present stone mill, De Volksvriend, was built after its wooden predecessor, De Ruyter, burned down completely. At Molen De Volksvriend, dried oak bark may also have been ground into tanbark, used for tanning hides, alongside grain. The mill thus offers a glimpse both of the change from the burned wooden structure to its stone successor and of a possible additional use for the mill machinery.
Another local tradition takes place at Kapel Sint Antonius: Every year, the Green Marksmen’s Guild, also known as the Gilde van Sint Antonius en Sebastiaan, goes there and offers a silver coin to its patron saint. If you would like to include public art in your trip, the Jan-van-Gemert walking route offers another focus. It leads to works by Gemert artist Jan van Gemert that can be seen in Gemert’s public spaces.
Choose routes to suit your interests
The Boerenbondsroute is one option for a cycling tour: it is about 33.6 kilometres long, and the route recommends starting at the Boerenbondsmuseum in Gemert. The Gemert mountain biking route offers a different kind of ride, running almost entirely along unpaved paths in the wooded surroundings of Gemert. As trail conditions can change, check the current route before setting off. On foot, the Jan-van-Gemert walking route focuses on public artworks rather than a specified distance.
When choosing where to stay in Gemert, use these themes as a starting point: would you like to make time for architectural history and museums, choose a cycling route or discover art in town? Bear in mind Het MUG’s weekend opening hours, and check current trail conditions for the mountain biking route. This will help you plan your trip around the experiences you actually want to have.
Discover more destinations: Milheeze, De Mortel, De Rips, Bakel, Elsendorp, Handel.
See the overview of the wider region: Gemert-Bakel.
