In the final months of the Second World War, Polish forces advanced through the southern Netherlands as part of the Allied campaign to push German troops back across Europe. The 1st Polish Armoured Division under General Stanisław Maczek liberated several Dutch towns, including Breda and Axel, while the 1st Independent Parachute Brigade took part in Operation Market Garden near Arnhem. These cycling and hiking routes highlight key places connected to those operations, from former battle zones and landing sites to museums and memorials that explain the complex events of 1944 and 1945.Today, visitors can explore the story of the Polish troops through a network of walking, cycling, and driving routes across Zeeland, North Brabant, and Gelderland. Along the way, you can stop at local museums, discover traces of wartime fortifications, and visit small villages that were rebuilt after the fighting. Each route combines accessible travel experiences with opportunities to learn about the military movements, landscapes, and communities that shaped the closing stages of the war in the Netherlands.

Polish memorial in Breda

In the footsteps of the Polish Troops in the Netherlands

The local route in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen will take you through parts of Zeeland where the the first allied forces entered the country on 16 of September 1944. Along the way you will discover the history of this region during World War II. The start and finish is the Gdynia museum, which displays a collection of many different items gathered during the fighting. From here you will encounter many other points of interest with intriguing stories, such as the “General on the Westerschelde Estatuary”, which honors the Polish Liberators and General Maczek.From Zeeland you will cycle on the exact same route as the Polish forces took and therefore will take you through Belgium to continue on to Breda in the North-Brabant province. In and around Breda you will see many different sites, like the Maczek Memorial, where the story of the 1st Polish Army is further explored. There is a specific attention on General Stanislaw Maczek, commander of the 1st Polish Armoured division, who liberated Breda with as few civilian casualties as possible. On the route you will encounter a German Panther tank, which was donated by the Polish liberators as a thank you gift for the warm relationship between the Polish soldiers and the people of Breda.From Breda the route continues to Driel-Oosterbeek in Gelderland, where the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade fought. The route passes over the landing sites of the parachute brigade and past the headquarters of Stanislaw Sosabowski. Before liberating Northern parts of the Netherlands, the Polish forces went into Germany to enter the Netherlands from the east again. Continuing North, there are different points of interest to discover, quite some of them related to Polish pilots and aircrew who's airplanes got shot above the Netherlands. Two other local routes, one in Drenthe and one in Groningen, show the last push of the Polish soldiers during the liberation of the Netherlands. There are many more stories an sites to discover, step on your bicycle and follow in the footsteps of the Polish Liberators.

The Netherlands

National Polish Cycling Route in the Netherlands

The cycling route takes you along the Mark Canal where, in November 1944, Polish soldiers of the 1st Polish Armoured Division made frantic efforts to cross the canal and breach the German defense line.On your way you’ll encounter a German Panther Tank too, which was donated to the city of Breda by the Polish liberators, as a thank you for the warm relationship between the Polish soldiers and Breda.

Polish Cycling Route Breda

This route will take you through parts of Groningen and various towns where you will discover the stories of the Polish liberators and civilians of this area. Learn about the resistance of civilians in Muntendam and how they took matters into their own hands to be liberated. Continue on to Siddeburen where the German army tried one last attack to defeat the Polish forces. Cycle through beautiful landscapes and read about the sacrifices both civilians and soldiers made during the final stages of the Second World War.

Polish Cycling Route Groningen

The route starts at the museum ‘somewhere in the Netherlands’ in Emmen, this museum tells the story of World War II through a vast collection of items. From here you can continue on to the Oosterhesseler Bridge, which was captured by the Belgian SAS with help of Polish soldiers. Following the route, you will encounter the village of Westerbork, where the former transit camp was situated, here you can read about and listen to the story of liberation of the village. From here there are many more intriguing stories to discover, follow the route and learn more.

Polish Cycling Route Drenthe

The route will take you through a part of Zeeland, where the first Allied soldiers, Polish and part of the First Canadian Army, entered on September 16th, 1944. They entered Zeeland via eastern Zeelandic Flanders (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen). At Axel they encountered strong opposition from German units. Three days of heavy fighting broke out over the Axel-Hulst Canal. The route goes through the city of Hulst too, with the Saint Willibrordus basilica&nbsp;in its city centre. During WWII, this was a perfect viewpoint, overlooking the east of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. The German soldiers wrote Nazi texts on the walls. The wooden tower was an important target for the Allies, but it proved difficult to hit. It took twenty direct hits for the spire to collapse.&nbsp;

Polish Cycling Route Zeeland

This route passes important sites in the villages of Driel and Oosterbeek where the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade fought during the Second World War. They were in Driel to support the surrounded British troops near Oosterbeek. To reach the British troops, the Poles had to cross the River Rhine at Driel. The route takes you, amongst others, over the landing sites and past the headquarters of Major General Stanisław Sosabowski. The cycling route starts and ends at the ‘Information Centre: The Poles of Driel’ which was developed by the Driel Poland Foundation.

Polish Cycling Route Driel-Oosterbeek

This hike passes important milestones in the village of Driel where the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade fought during the Second World War. They were here to support the surrounded British troops near Oosterbeek. To reach the British troops, the Poles had to cross the River Rhine at Driel. The route – of about 6 kilometres – takes you, amongst others, over the landing sites and past the headquarters of Major General Sosabowski. The hike starts and ends at the ‘Information Centre: The Poles of Driel’ which was developed by the Driel Poland Foundation.<iframe class="ql-video" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/55lfsvMVyb0?showinfo=0"></iframe>