Black Kate and the Dancing Cats. It almost sounds like the title of a Suske en Wiske comic book. The stories have been passed down in popular speech over time and now belong to the legends of the Kempen region. This tour introduces you to the Kempen and the locations where a number of folktales originated.

The tour starts at Restaurant Zomerhof. In good spirits you can set off from here towards the West. First you come through Bergeijk. This sleepy village has an eventful past. The old families in this village know the stories of the Dancing Cats and ghosts.

The Dancing Cats were actually witches in disguise. In order not to get caught, they turned into cats so that they could dance on the Kattenberg at night. Passing men were tempted to dance; which was often fatal. Dorus the miller was therefore not fond of working at night in his Standerdmolen. His servant, on the other hand, dared. Soon he was surrounded by the cats. With all his strength he defended himself with a saber. Finally, he managed to injure a cat, which allowed him to escape. The next morning, Dorus found a severed ringed finger… his wife's. Together with the pastor, he managed to lure the cats to the Luihuis, where the cats eventually turned into boulders. If you are interested, you can easily find these boulders in the village, just like the Luihuis and the Standerdmolen.

Even before you leave the village, you also have a chance to see a ghost dog. In the past, Broekstraat was located outside the built-up area, in open fields. Stories are going around that you shouldn't come here at night. Passers-by were accompanied by a ghost dog… A large gray dog, without legs, that seemed to float above the ground. One that scared everyone with a terrible roar.

You quickly continue your journey towards Eersel. You glide past a well-known part of the Kempen – the Cartierheide – towards Bladel. Before entering this village (and Zwarte Kaat's headquarters), you first visit Hoeve Ten Vorsel, where Zwarte Kaat kidnapped the baby Thomas Ten Vorsel in 1594. This boy was said to bring good luck to the gang. In fact, Zwarte Kaat and her husband Bruno had 14 prosperous years. But after Thomas discovered the badness of Kaat and Bruno, he fled to the Abbey in Postel. Here he met his biological brother Floris. Thanks to his brother, Zwarte Kaat (the witch of Hellenende) was eventually captured and beheaded. Kaat is buried in the Kempen woods around Bladel.

From Bladel you dive into another well-known legend from the Kempen: the goat riders. These people (or spirits) would have made a pact with the devil and – riding on goats – sow disaster in the area. This time you don't have to worry about being mugged… It's a pleasant break at Herberg In Den Bockenreyders. Take some time here to enjoy the lovely terrace, in the middle of the woods. The Kempen is rich with stories about the goat riders. So are stories and legends about people who hunted goat riders. Just across the border – not far from the route – you can visit the dilapidated house of the Clercx family. They would have defeated a lot of goat riders.

Via lovely paved and unpaved roads you drive to the Abbey of Postel, the place where the child prodigy Thomas found a safe place. You can also stop here to view the abbey and buy abbey beers to take home.

This second part of the route also includes a number of beautiful viewpoints, such as the Brandtoren in the Peelsche Heide and Baileybrug de Maat over the Bocholt Canal.

The tour is intended for people who want to take an alternative route through the Kempen. And you might also want to try some unpaved driving. Depending on the weather conditions, the unpaved roads can be easy or difficult to drive. A detour is described in the route points for each unpaved part.

The thrilling experience of dirt driving is enhanced with scary folk legends about witches, ghosts and robbers. Be warned, do not drive this route at dusk or in the dark!