Swartbroek - De Pelen - orange - 4.5 km

Furthermore, you pass the mill De Hoop and arrive in the center of Swartbroek, where you will find a war cemetery. 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 rest area for many birds. The area is intersected in the north by the Leuker stream and in the south by the Tungelroy stream. Due to the differences in height and humidity, many different species of plants and animals can be found. The moist, flower-rich grasslands contribute to the presence of many species of butterflies. The area consists of several depressions where peat bogs are located between higher sandy ridges on which the village of Swartbroek has developed. Peat bogs, a term that is only used in the vicinity of Weert, are dish-shaped depressions that formed during warmer periods in the Holocene in the covering sand landscape due to flowing meltwater. The bogs, including the Roukespeel, Moeselpeel, Kootspeel, Roeventerpeel, Sarven, and Banen, lie southeast of Weert and Nederweert. Later, the Leuker stream was dug through these peat bogs to drain and develop them.