Running parallel to Pastoor Thijssenlaan in Sterksel is a monumental beech hedge that is more than 120 years old and possibly even older. Because of its cultural-historical and landscape value, it has been designated a municipal green monument. It brings together landscape and cultural history in a single landmark.
Places of Remembrance and Architecture
The war memorial in Sterksel commemorates A.H.A. Aarts, F.A. Broos and A.N. Kanters. The three Dutch soldiers of 3-III-30 R.I. lost their lives in hostilities on 12 May 1940. Three interconnected wooden crosses, a plaque at the base and an information board make up the memorial. Its design brings the names and shared remembrance together with clearly recognizable elements.
The history of the buildings also has specific dates: Huize Sterksel is a villa built for J. Pompen in the chalet style in 1902. Huize Providentia in Sterksel was founded by the Brothers of Saint Joseph in 1927. These two details offer different ways into the history of the village—through a villa and through the founding of Huize Providentia.
A monument on Kloosterlaan commemorates a narrow-gauge railway built after 1900 to reclaim the land around Sterksel. The railway was four kilometres long; the monument itself consists of a 15-metre length of track and an information board. This makes it easy to compare the length of the original route with the shorter stretch of track at the monument. Another chapter in the history of transport is Sterksel’s historic railway station: it opened on 1 November 1913 and closed on 15 May 1938.
Art and Rural Routes
Near the church stands the statue D’n Os, which is officially recognized as monumental folk art. It was designed and created by residents of the village. Another connection to art is the permanent art trail “Prikkels en Tintelingen”: it is almost two kilometres long and runs through the former Providentia institutional grounds. Its theme therefore differs from that of the monument on Kloosterlaan, which commemorates the narrow-gauge railway.
Kempro is also part of Sterksel’s art scene. The studio has space for more than 20 talented craftspeople and artists, all of whom are Kempenhaeghe clients. Kempro’s gallery hosts exhibitions by artists from the Netherlands and abroad. The exhibition programme may change.
There are several cycling and walking routes, as well as various horse-riding trails, for exploring the rural landscape. The different types of routes offer a choice of ways to get around; the routes available may change. If you are planning a particular route, check the latest route information. Nature guides from IVN Heeze-Leende regularly organize walks in the natural areas around Heeze, Leende and Sterksel. Dates and locations vary, so check the relevant announcement if you are looking for a guided walk.
The Liberation Route also includes a site in Sterksel: the Commonwealth War Cemetery.
Discover more destinations: Heeze, Leende.
Go to the main travel overview: Heeze-Leende.
