Smuggling route De Groote Heide: the smuggler | Stories on the Border

This 44-kilometre cycle route takes you through the De Groote Heide nature reserve. The route takes you across the border and lets you experience the story of a customs officer or a smuggler in the 1930s. This is the smuggler’s route. For the customs officer’s route, go to this page.

The route starts at the market in Budel, near the Schepenhuis (Tourist Information Centre), and then takes you past several old smuggling trails, customs offices, boundary posts and border crossings. These are all iconic elements of the smuggling story centred on the border between Brabant and Belgium. It is a varied route offering a lovely link between town, countryside, the Netherlands and Belgium. You’ll cycle through unspoilt countryside and pass through charming villages known for their smuggling history. Discover the cat-and-mouse game in the border area of De Groote Heide and follow in the smuggler’s footsteps on this cycle route of approximately 44 kilometres.

The smuggling history of De Groote Heide nature reserve
, the Netherlands – the 1930s. Tall tales about smuggling in the border region have been doing the rounds for quite some time. Butter, sugar, salt and even lingerie… You name it, people were willing to smuggle it across the border for a few extra pennies. For residents of the border region, smuggling has become second nature, a game of outwitting the customs officers.

It is a cold, sunny morning and the frozen grass casts a white glow as Johannes de Vlugge wanders past the farms. He is on the lookout for contraband (4) to smuggle across the border. The grass crunches with every step. He soon bumps into his friend. Together, they decide to pop into the pub a little further down the road for a drink. Just a quick one to lift their spirits.

In the far corner of the café, a weathered man is sitting, enjoying his beer. He hears the friends talking and grumbles: “That’s not getting us anywhere, smuggling those tiny amounts during the day. You’re better off making your move all at once at night.” De Vlugge hears what he says, but decides to give it a go during the day anyway.

Vlugge’s friend is carrying a sack full of contraband. But not Johannes; Johannes has a grand plan. He knocks on the door of the farm just before the border. The farmer’s wife, who is also in on the plot, beckons him round to the back, where a large cow is waiting for him. With wide eyes, Johannes’s friend watches his mate trudging along behind him through the farmyard, the cow in tow. They head towards the woods and set off in search of a spot to cross the border unseen. As they walk along a narrow forest path, they spot a couple of customs officers further ahead.

Full of adrenaline, they pace back and forth along the border (7). Johannes isn’t making much headway with his cow. When his friend decides to make the crossing a little further on, he gets caught in the barbed wire and is apprehended. Johannes tries to hide as inconspicuously as possible, but the cow has other ideas. Time for the secret weapon. With treacle smeared around the cow’s muzzle, the animal follows along like a docile little lamb without so much as a moo. The customs officers are still busy with his friend in the barbed wire, and Johannes manages to cross the border (7). He sells the animal at the pub further down the road. Ka-ching!

Satisfied with his haul, Vlugge decides to treat himself to a beer in the pub (11). To his surprise, he spots Cor Commies sitting at the bar. With his newly earned money, he buys a good bottle of liqueur from the pub owner. Johannes plucks up his courage, walks over to Commies and asks him to turn a blind eye tonight in exchange for the bottle of liqueur. Commies is absolutely not amused by this, whereupon Vlugge quickly makes a run for it.

Later that day, he tries again. At a nearby warehouse (4), he manages to collect as much as sixty kilos of sugar. He borrows a bike and thinks back to the advice he was given that afternoon: night-time is the best time to make your move. If he manages to deliver this order to the Netherlands today, he’ll earn as much as he would in a week’s work. At dusk, Vlugge and his friend set off towards the border with two duffel bags full of sugar. Just as they think the coast is clear, Vlugge spots a swift shadow in the bushes. It’s Cor Commies! He decides to flee, and with the full moon shining like a spotlight on the border (16), a real game of cat and mouse ensues. Will Johannes manage to escape the customs officers?

Get off your bike and explore...
Make your cycling adventure complete and let the various businesses along the route surprise you with special products, offers and packages themed around this route.

• Smuggling box from Borrelbar KikkerOp and Brasserie De Kapetulie: a box containing five different beers.
• Mamma Mia’s ‘Smuggler’s Ice Cream’: mascarpone ice cream with poached pears, stroopwafel and caramel. Ice cream with a nod to the butter and sugar smuggling trade.
• ‘Johannes de Vlugge’ smuggler’s beer from Stoombrouwerij De Pimpelier: a delicious brown beer (7%) perfect for sipping on a terrace and sure to be a hit across the border. Cheers! Also available at De Brasser in Budel.
• Smuggler’s pastry from De Jong De Echte Bakker: Treat yourself to a delicious cappuccino ‘pungel’, drizzled with dark chocolate on a tasty sponge base. Also available at De Brasser in Budel.
• ‘’t Smokkelaartje’’ liqueur from Fruitbedrijf Jan Janssen: a sweet liqueur made from blueberries, delicious as a nightcap or aperitif.
• Tea from the border: an exciting green and white tea from the ’t Zuyderblad tea plantation that creates a springtime celebration on the palate. Fresh and fruity!
• Kraaienpoten: spicy beef sausages from Borrelbar Kikkerop – perfect with a drink. Are you brave enough to try them?
• Smuggled Cheese: Catharinadal Cheese Factory has developed a unique little cheese featuring ‘De Doodendraad’ as a line drawing in cocoa and coffee. A real taste sensation!

Stories on the Border
Stories on the Bordershowcases the diversity of the province of Brabant in a unique way. Brabant is situated both on the border between the Netherlands and Belgium and between the provinces of Limburg, Zeeland, South Holland and Gelderland. The border has a rich history, with tales of smuggling, closed borders and boundless cooperation. It is no coincidence that this border has always played an important role in the lives of the people of Brabant. Experiential routes developed around this theme reveal the story of the Brabant border and the province’s boundless character. View them all at visitbrabant.com/verhalenaandegrens.

About De Groote Heide
Discover De Groote Heide; a unique cross-border area spanning Cranendonck, Eindhoven, Heeze-Leende, Valkenswaard, Hamont-Achel and Neerpelt. The cross-border area of De Groote Heide is a premier destination within North Brabant for nature, tourism and recreation. With 6,000 hectares of contiguous nature reserves featuring deep purple heathland, fresh green forests, streams, rivers and ponds, as well as many special cultural and historical views and vistas, De Groote Heide is a unique environment.