Odiliapeel: Village History and Forest

Odiliapeel combines village history with opportunities to spend time outdoors, helping you plan your trip. Stops around the village tell its story, while activities on foot, by bike and on horseback take centre stage in the Bosgebied Odiliapeel. There are also religious and historical sites, as well as an annual festival. If you are looking for a hotel in Odiliapeel, you can plan your stay around whether you would rather focus on history, the forest or both.

Village History and Events

The R.K. Kerk H. Kruisvinding in Odiliapeel is recognised as a Rijksmonument. The Historisch Pad offers a dedicated focus on local history: its 17 stops tell the story of how Odiliapeel came into being through the reclamation of the Peelsche Heide, how pioneers built their lives there, and how the village demonstrated resilience, including during the Second World War. Together, the stops bring different chapters of the village’s history to life.

The war memorial also recalls the history of the area. It is a memorial wall with three natural-stone plaques. The Sint Odiliakapel was established in 1995 by several residents of Odiliapeel. These sites add a memorial and a chapel to the historical perspective, while the Historisch Pad traces the village’s development across several stops.

The annual events calendar includes Schapendag, which centres on sheep. Visitors can enjoy music, dancing and lively outdoor café terraces. If you are travelling to Odiliapeel for this festival, include the specific event dates in your travel plans.

Forest, Trails and Visvijver

The Bosgebied Odiliapeel is a mixed plantation forest in which beech and oak trees, among others, have been planted. You can go walking, cycling and horse riding there. The forest also contains several artworks by sculptor Andre van Boxtel. Traces of German activity from the Second World War have also been preserved there, including a bunker and a trench. Art, outdoor activities and historical remains give you different ways to experience the area outdoors.

The Jeanny van Kuppeveltpad is an accessible walking trail in the woods near Odiliapeel. It can be used by wheelchair users, people with rollators, and those with walking aids or pushchairs. This makes it a practical option if you are travelling with any of these mobility aids.

The Visvijver Odiliapeel covers about 14,000 square metres. Three fishing platforms extend over the water; an old bunker wall on an island is home to bats. The site also has paved paths, ample parking and accessible fishing platforms. For planning a visit to the pond, you can find information on its approximate area as well as its paths, parking and fishing platforms.

The Kabouterpad Papatoe is located in the woods on Rechtestraat and features around 80 colourful gnomes from March to October. If you would like to include this seasonal attraction in your plans, take the stated period into account when planning your trip.

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