Casteren
is a charming, rural village with a triangular village square opposite the church, featuring a few benches and a work of art.
From here, a few streets fan out, lined with a number of beautiful farmhouses and residential properties.
As well as the beautiful St Mary’s Chapel and St Willibrord
’s Church, Casteren
hosts a compact weekly market on Wednesday mornings.
With a population of around 1,000, Casteren
is the second-smallest village in the municipality of Bladel
.
Brabant Liberation Route
The Germans had deployed a great deal of anti-aircraft artillery in this wooded area. Five Skytrains were shot down over Bladel, Casteren, Netersel and Hoogeloon . Crew members and paratroopers lost their lives in these incidents. Soldiers who managed to jump out of their burning aircraft in time were often rescued on the ground by members of the resistance. An audio kiosk on the Liberation Route Brabant tells the story of the liberation, but also illustrates what the Second World War meant for ordinary people in Brabant.
Casteren : where nature takes centre stage
De Grijze Steen nature reserve lies between Casteren and Middelbeers and forms a transitional area between the Landschotse Heide and the valley of the Groote Beerze. Here you’ll find an open heathland home to a variety of plants. On the western side, the heathland gives way to a deciduous woodland. Along the Beerze, you’ll still find a few flower-filled grasslands. In short, a beautiful nature reserve to explore by bike or on foot!
