Not far from Efteling and Tilburg is the town of Waalwijk, mainly known for its shoe industry. The town is bursting with pleasant pavement cafes and several historic buildings are more than worth visiting such as the Sint Jan de Doper church, the old town hall designed by the architect Kropholler and the Dye Sprancke windmill. An unusual feature of Waalwijk is the defunct Langstraat railway line, which partly runs through the town. This was once an industrial railway line from the village of Lage Zwaluwe to the city of 's-Hertogenbosch. It carries the nickname “Halvezolenlijn” from the Dutch word halvezool which means both “half a sole”, referring to the shoe industry for which the line was used, but also “halfwit” referring, jokingly, to the people living along the line. Leather and related articles were transported to and from the Langstraat. The Halvezolen route (51 km) follows the original railway line as much as possible.  It takes you past old signal houses, railway bridges, benches and information signs. A lovely route for cycling! 

Tip: As the route is quite long, it makes sense to spend two days on the Halve Zolenlijn. One day can then partly be spent on a walk over the Moerputten bridge near 's-Hertogenbosch. A very photogenic spot!