Have your passport or ID card ready for this nativity scene tour with a prize competition on Sunday, December 21st, because we’ll start in Belgium, travel through the Netherlands, and finish back in Belgium. We’re going to have a great time across the border!
First of all, a word of thanks to Hans for providing us with some of the locations for the nativity scenes.
Where do we start?
We’ll start at a restaurant in Hoogstraten, located between Breda and Antwerp. We’ll be welcomed there at 12:00 pm with coffee/tea and pastries. If you’d like to take a stroll before the tour begins, you can visit the Beguinage and the beautiful town hall dating from 1525. The town hall is on the same street, and the Beguinage is also nearby.
Where do we go from there?
We’ll head north, pass the beautiful Laermolen mill, and soon find the first nativity scene at St. Clement’s Church, which dates back to the 16th century.
The second nativity scene is located at the Capuchin Monastery in Meersel-Dreef. The Capuchin monastery in Meersel-Dreef was founded at the end of the Eighty Years’ War thanks to the influential Baron Jan De Wyse of Breda. Mariapark, opposite the monastery, is a green oasis with many religious monuments, statues of saints, a Lourdes grotto, and a Franciscan labyrinth.
We continue our journey, cross the border, and arrive in Bavel via the forests around Ulvenhout, with the third nativity scene at the Church of the Assumption of Mary.
We continue to Gilze, where you’ll find a unique nativity scene in a park called
the Mollebos. The Mollebos remains a special green space in the heart of the village. There are almost eighty trees, five of which are national monuments: three horse chestnuts, a lime tree, and a beech. All five are over a century old.
Via Chaam, we then drive to Alphen, where the fifth nativity scene stands at the Church of St. Willibrord. This church is also a national monument. The tower and church were rebuilt in their original style in 1966 after suffering extensive damage, including during the Second World War.
Via the Belgian-Dutch patchwork of Baarle-Nassau and Baarle-Hertog, we return to Belgian territory, where in Merksplas there’s another Willibrord Church, naturally featuring the sixth nativity scene of this route. Incidentally, Baarle-Nassau is very lively, especially on Sundays. There’s also a nativity scene there, but parking isn’t easy, so this nativity scene is optional for those who want to take a look around.
We then head to Beerse, where the seventh nativity scene awaits us on Kerkplein, at St. Lambertus Church.
The eighth and final nativity scene is in Rijkevorsel, at—you guessed it—another St. Willibrord Church.
We conclude the route with the results of the questions asked along the way, followed by an optional dinner at the restaurant where we started.
What does it cost?
Participation fee is €8 per person for members and €11 per person for guests.
The three-course dinner is €40 per person.
What does the dinner consist of?
Starter
- Tomato vegetable soup (vegetarian)
- Carpaccio
- Cheese croquettes
Main course with chips
- Vegetarian lasagna
- Vol-au-vent
- Beef stew
- Salmon fillet with béarnaise sauce
Dessert
- Warm waffle with powdered sugar
- Chocolate mousse
- Vanilla sundae
Are dogs allowed?
Our four-legged friends are welcome in the restaurant, provided they are well-behaved and leashed.
This ride has been registered for the events regulations.
Register
You can register until Sunday, December 14th via the registration page.
We look forward to seeing you for a refreshing, but also warm, end to the GCCC year!
When registering, you can now indicate whether you want to ride with someone or if someone can ride with you. If you choose this option, you agree that your contact information will be shared with other solo riders or drivers, so you can arrange to ride together in advance.
Disclaimer
The GCCC excludes any form of damage whatsoever. Damage to your own vehicle and/or damage to (the property of) participants and/or third parties will be at your own expense or the expense of your insurer.
An insurer may consider a ride with a route description as a competition, in which case the policy conditions do not apply. This varies per insurance policy/insurer, so check your policy carefully!
Photos and videos will also be taken during the ride. If you do not want this, you are responsible for this by kindly asking the photographer or videographer not to take any footage of you or your car (license plate). The photos and videos are generally shared on personal Facebook and Instagram pages of individual participants and the GCCC Facebook page.