De Groote Peel National Park

De Groote Peel straddles the border of Limburg and North Brabant in the peat country of De Peel, thirteen square kilometres of raised bog that escaped the cutting which stripped almost everything around it. What remains is a mosaic of peat swamp, open water, moorland and sand ridges, some of the lakes themselves left behind by the diggers. It is among the most bird-rich places in western Europe: black-necked grebes breed here, and common cranes pass through in October and November. A three-kilometre route marked by red poles leads to a viewing tower over the bog. Leave the marked path with care, the swamps are treacherous.