Cycle route in the footsteps of Toontje the Dwarf
Boxmeer, Sint Anthonis, Oploo
The cuddly dwarf of Oploo, Tôntje the Dwarf... Toon van Els, as he was really called, grew from a reviled tramp to a village legend. Toon was born in 1865 on the Bekenstijn castle farm in Sambeekse Hoek. He was remarkably small, reportedly no taller than his own sheep, and was therefore quickly nicknamed ‘Toontje d'n Dwerg’ (Dwarf Toontje). Despite his height, he had an impressive appearance: perky with a rough beard and a powerful voice. Toon became a shepherd at a young age, the lowest paid profession in agriculture. He gathered the sheep from the farmers around Oploo to take them to the heath in the Peel. There is now a gazebo where he would gather the sheep. He lost his job when sheep farming in the Peel disappeared around 1900. From that moment on, he led a wandering existence, looking for work or shelter. He travelled through the Peel, occasionally stayed in Westerbeek and was seen in all kinds of villages in the region, from Heusden to Someren. Toon had no fixed abode. In the winter he slept in sheepfolds or turf huts, in the summer under the starry sky. He transported his belongings in an old pram. As the years went by, he became lonely and became alienated from people. He was often mocked, and would defend himself with sand or stones. He died in 1922 in Weert at the age of 56. Although he died alone, Toon was not forgotten. In 1986, a bronze statue of him was placed at the watermill in Oploo. The statue was made by Harrie Willems. In 1992, the Doekmaroploo theatre company staged a play about his life, ‘Toon d'n Dwerg’, which drew a large audience. Photo: Oploo ©National Archives
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
|
Start: Heideweg , 5845 EC Land van Cuijk | 36.7 KM | |
|
From
96
to
34
|
5607 M | 5.6 KM | |
| Head southeast | 298 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 571 M | ||
| Turn right onto Vlagberg | 1.3 KM | ||
| Turn left | 864 M | ||
| Turn right | 447 M | ||
| Turn right onto Peelkant | 330 M | ||
| Make a slight left onto Blauwstraat | 290 M | ||
| Turn right | 589 M | ||
| Keep right at the fork | 469 M | ||
| Turn right onto Spekklef | 491 M | ||
| You are now at section 34 | 0 M | ||
|
From
34
to
35
|
1523 M | 1.5 KM | |
| Head southeast on Spekklef | 70 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Deurneseweg | 792 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 661 M | ||
| You are now at section 35 | 0 M | ||
|
From
35
to
23
|
4832 M | 4.8 KM | |
| Head north on Broekstraat | 1.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Loonseweg | 10 M | ||
| Turn left onto Watermolenstraat | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Grotestraat | 407 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Grotestraat | 108 M | ||
| Continue onto Den Groten Diek | 1 KM | ||
| Continue onto Lepelstraat | 469 M | ||
| You are now at section 23 | 0 M | ||
|
From
23
to
31
|
2382 M | 2.4 KM | |
| Head southeast on Den Hoek | 524 M | ||
| Turn left onto 'Fiets'-pad | 178 M | ||
| Turn left onto Rondveld | 1.7 KM | ||
| You are now at section 31 | 0 M | ||
|
From
31
to
2
|
1068 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head northeast on Sambeeksedijk | 1.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 02 | 0 M | ||
|
From
2
to
37
|
3395 M | 3.4 KM | |
| Head east on Sambeeksedijk | 2 KM | ||
| Turn right | 29 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Hoogeindseweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| You are now at section 37 | 0 M | ||
|
From
37
to
18
|
2093 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head southeast on Hoogeindseweg | 12 M | ||
| Turn left onto Radioweg | 370 M | ||
| Turn left onto Sint Janslaan | 867 M | ||
| Turn left onto Buskensweg | 300 M | ||
| Turn right onto Torenpad | 275 M | ||
| Turn left onto Torenstraat | 134 M | ||
| Turn right onto Zandsteeg | 135 M | ||
| You are now at section 18 | 0 M | ||
|
From
18
to
4
|
1867 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head south on Grotestraat | 607 M | ||
| Turn left onto Oude Waranda | 809 M | ||
| Turn right onto Maasstraat | 451 M | ||
| You are now at section 04 | 0 M | ||
|
From
4
to
17
|
1613 M | 1.6 KM | |
| Head north | 682 M | ||
| Turn right | 427 M | ||
| Turn left onto Loerangelsestraat | 432 M | ||
| Turn right onto Loerangelsestraat | 72 M | ||
| You are now at section 17 | 0 M | ||
|
From
17
to
1
|
1219 M | 1.2 KM | |
| Head northwest on het Zand | 598 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Veerstraat | 621 M | ||
| You are now at section 01 | 0 M | ||
|
From
1
to
16
|
396 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head southwest on Hoogendijk | 396 M | ||
| You are now at section 16 | 0 M | ||
|
From
16
to
10
|
1300 M | 1.3 KM | |
| Head southwest on Hoogendijk | 295 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hoogendijk | 13 M | ||
| Turn right | 114 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 3rd exit | 52 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout | 36 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Hollesteeg | 485 M | ||
| Turn left onto Floralaan | 221 M | ||
| Turn left onto Floralaan | 84 M | ||
| You are now at section 10 | 0 M | ||
|
From
10
to
30
|
2061 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head southeast on Graafseweg | 804 M | ||
| Turn right onto Sint Anthonisweg | 557 M | ||
| Continue straight | 238 M | ||
| Continue onto Sint Anthonisweg | 462 M | ||
| You are now at section 30 | 0 M | ||
|
From
30
to
22
|
2996 M | 3 KM | |
| Head northwest on Waterleidingstraat | 1 KM | ||
| Turn left | 684 M | ||
| Turn left | 450 M | ||
| Make a slight left | 392 M | ||
| Turn right onto Noordkant | 445 M | ||
| You are now at section 22 | 0 M | ||
|
From
22
to
98
|
1688 M | 1.7 KM | |
| Head southwest on Noordkant | 1.6 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Breestraat | 18 M | ||
| Turn left onto Brink | 117 M | ||
| You are now at section 98 | 0 M | ||
|
From
98
to
97
|
810 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head west on Molenstraat | 219 M | ||
| Turn left onto Molenstraat | 194 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Bosweg | 397 M | ||
| You are now at section 97 | 0 M | ||
|
From
97
to
96
|
1897 M | 1.9 KM | |
| Head west on Bosweg | 620 M | ||
| Turn left to stay on Bosweg | 479 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Heideweg | 99 M | ||
| Turn left | 309 M | ||
| Turn right | 136 M | ||
| Turn left onto Heideweg | 254 M | ||
| You are now at section 96 | 0 M |