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🇳🇱North Brabant

Oirschotse Heide

Updated: July 15, 2026

The Oirschotse Heide — officially the Oirschotse Heide Military Training Area — lies between Oirschot, Best and Eindhoven and is one of the most heavily used training grounds of the Royal Netherlands Army. The terrain consists of open heathland interspersed with pine forest and sand drifts, and is largely flat: the elevation difference is barely twenty metres. That very combination of open sightlines and cover makes it well suited to infantry, reconnaissance and vehicle exercises.

For navigation exercises the Oirschotse Heide is a classic: the flat, featureless terrain forces participants to rely on map and coordinates rather than prominent contour lines. MGRS coordinates are the standard here for passing positions unambiguously. On this page you can see the area on the map, along with its MGRS zone, terrain features and an interactive MilMap demo of exactly this area.

On the map

Oirschotse Heide OpenStreetMap

Live in MilMap

app.milmap.nl/share

MilMap on this ground

On the Oirschotse Heide you use MilMap to lay out rally points and reconnaissance routes in MGRS ahead of time, so every section shares the exact same coordinates. The open heath offers few landmarks — with the terrain layer and elevation profile you can still see where the subtle ridges and hollows lie. The 3D flyover gives commanders a feel for the sightlines in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the Oirschotse Heide?

The Oirschotse Heide is in North Brabant, the Netherlands, between Oirschot, Best and Eindhoven. It is a military training area of the Royal Netherlands Army.

Which MGRS zone covers the Oirschotse Heide?

The Oirschotse Heide falls within UTM grid zone 31U. The exact MGRS coordinate of the centre point is shown at the top of this page, computed from the location.

Can you enter the Oirschotse Heide?

Parts of the terrain are open to walkers outside of exercises, but red flags mean training is underway and the area is closed. Always follow the on-site signage.