Swartbroek - De Pelen - blue - 3.2 km

Swartbroek is a village that is part of the municipality of Weert. The Krang, a large nature reserve surrounding the village, serves as a breeding ground and resting place for many birds. The area is intersected in the north by the Leuker brook and in the south by the Tungelroyse brook. Due to the difference in height and moisture, many different species of plants and animals are present. The moist, flower-rich grasslands contribute to the presence of many butterfly species. The area consists of several depressions that contain peat bogs, or 'pelen,' situated between higher sandy ridges on which the village of Swartbroek has developed. Peat bogs, a term used exclusively in the Weert area, are dish-shaped depressions that formed during warmer periods in the Holocene due to runoff meltwater in the sandy landscape. The bogs, including Roukespeel, Moeselpeel, Kootspeel, Roeventerpeel, Sarven, and Banen, are located southeast of Weert and Nederweert. Later, the Leuker brook was dug through these peat bogs to drain and exploit them.