The Smokkelroute in Strijbeek (Close to Breda) is great for a beautiful walk of around 8km that crosses briefly into Belgium. The border area’s of the Netherlands and Belgium are known for a rich history of smuggling. Nowadays we enjoy the possibility of crossing the borders without checkpoints and the ability to easily transport goods, but it hasn’t always been like this. This trail for example was used to smuggle butter among other things.
As the trail goes through al kinds of terrain, including grassland/meadow, I suggest to wear appropriate shoes as it can be a bit squashy… and hiking with wet socks isn’t fun at all (believe me). I’d park at ‘Pannekoekenboerderij het Smokkelaartje’, a pancake house near the trail, which serves delicious pancakes! Have a look at the pictures I took during the hike.
