Discover the beauty of the Langstraat by bicycle

The Friends of Sint Jan Waalwijk, who are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, have developed four beautiful bicycle routes through the Langstraat that will take you past all the cultural highlights of the region. In promoting these routes, special attention will be paid to young people and their parents who, through the routes, together with an app to be developed, will become more aware of culture and nature in the Langstraat.

Saint John and the Langstraat
Like St. John of Waalwijk, dedicated to John the Baptist, most of the churches and chapels built in the Langstraat from the 12th century onwards were named after this saint: from Vlijmen and Nieuwkuijk to Waspik; from Waalwijk and Kaatsheuvel to Loon op Zand.

But what do all these towers and church buildings still mean to today's generations of young parents and their children? What do they still know of the common culture that animated the inhabitants of the Langstraat, situated between dikes and dunes, between sand and clay, to reclaim their land bit by bit from the watery Maas Delta over the past eight centuries? To promote knowledge of the unique culture as well as nature in the Langstraat, a number of knowledgeable volunteers from the Friends of Sint Jan de Doper Foundation have developed four wonderful bicycle routes for residents and visitors to the Langstraat.

Bicycle routes and leaflets
These beautiful bicycle routes cross the region in all directions via the well-known national bicycle junction network, and lead past all scenic and cultural highlights through the Langstraat. This makes them real tours of discovery. The routes are each about 40 km long. They all start in the center of Waalwijk, but can of course be started and ended at all tourist attractions and businesses along the route.

Free test flyers listing the four routes with tourist and cultural highlights are already available at the Sint Jan de Doperkerk in Waalwijk and at the Tourist Information Point (TIP) at Schoenenkwartier. Efforts are being made to have the final folders ready before the start of the coming cycling season; they will be available at the tourist information points in the Langstraat and at the rest points, campsites and other businesses that want to promote the routes.

With the four discovery tours, the Friends of Sint Jan de Doper not only want everyone to experience the unique beauty of the Langstraat. With active support and in cooperation with the Regional Tourist Board, they also want to promote interest in the many cultural attractions in our region.

The Friends of Sint Jan de Doper Foundation, founded in 2014 and now 10 years young, aims to preserve the iconic domed church in the heart of Waalwijk for the purpose for which it was built 100 years ago. Like the Kerk aan de Haven and all other churches erected since the early thirteenth century, for example, they are not just beacons in the landscape and city. They are meant for the whole community: for old and young, rich and poor, residents and visitors. The significance of these irreplaceable cultural carriers are also of great importance to the present and future generation. The Friends would like to convey and show this to everyone.

Involving young people
With financial support from the Rabobank Incentive Fund, the Friends of St. John's want to use the project "Bike & Explore" to actively stimulate young people in the Langstraat to discover our region for themselves. They want to structurally involve the schools. The app will serve as a navigation tool for the routes and will provide interactive background information and the possibility to share photos and videos. The Friends seek the support of the three Langstraat municipalities, as well as the Arts Center and schools, scouting and other organizations that focus on youth.

Bookwork
An illustrated book will also be published no later than 2025, detailing the scenic and cultural highlights along the four routes. To this end, the Friends seek the support of local history societies and some authors in the region. With the help of the route leaflets, the web app and the booklet, Langstraat visitors, as well as schools and their students, can discover the highlights of the region.

All in all, an ambitious and challenging project involving residents and visitors to the Langstraat. The project has a lot of potential. The more the Friends can count on the active support of young people and their parents, the greater the positive result will be.

Anyone interested in helping with this project can contact the Friends of Sint Jan de Doper by mail or phone number. (info@vriendensintjanwaalwijk.nl, 06-29306470).