Swartbroek - De Pelen - purple - 10.3 km

You also walk a bit along the Leukerbeek. Via this route, you can also connect to the ring road towards the station of Weert. The area consists of several depressions where peat bogs or "pelen" are located between higher sand ridges on which, among other things, the village of Swartbroek has developed. Peat bogs or "pelen," a term used only in the vicinity of Weert, are dish-shaped depressions that formed during warmer periods of the Holocene through runoff meltwater in the cover sand landscape. The peat bogs, including the Roukespeel, Moeselpeel, Kootspeel, Roeventerpeel, Sarven, and Banen, lie southeast of Weert and Nederweert. Later, the Leukerbeek was dug through these peat bogs to drain and exploit them. Swartbroek is a church village that is part of the municipality of Weert. The Krang, a large nature area that surrounds the village, serves as a breeding ground and stopover for many birds. The area is cut through in the north by the Leukerbeek and in the south by the Tungelroysebeek. Due to the differences in height and moisture, there are many different species of plants and animals. The moist, flower-rich grasslands contribute to the presence of many species of butterflies.