A journey along two of the best routes the region has to offer
It is impossible to deny the delights of the Burgundian lifestyle when visiting the south of The Netherlands. While the stunning landscape invites long walks and cycling tours, there are also many bars and restaurants that add to life’s riches. In this article we take you on a journey along two of the best routes the region has to offer: Route des Vins and Grensmaas Route. Enjoy the adventure!
Article by:
Words - Ankie Bosch
Images - Visit Zuid-Limburg (NL) & Visit Limburg (BE)
Happy hiking… Route des Vins
The ancient landscape of South Limburg is punctuated with flowing streams, country roads with hairpin bends and deep limestone quarries featuring many miles of tunnels to discover. No other area in The Netherlands offers such impressive views and has a more varied mosaic of landscape.
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the region’s vineyards. Beneath the surface lies a varied geology, dominated by limestone from the Cretaceous period. This seventy-million-year-old remnant of a tropical warm sea is full of prehistoric traces, such as the skeletons of predatory mesh lizards. In the region, these ancient finds are visible in the form of marl remains.
The combination of rich soil, numerous hillsides, and the skill of wine producers make this landscape entirely unique within The Netherlands. It also places Valkenburg and the adjoining locale at the centre of a growing wine industry.
On the 12 km long Route des Vins you will pass four relatively new vineyards, discover bountiful fruit fields an exceptional fruit company, and observe some spectacular houses made from rock.
ST. MARTINUS VINEYARD – AT CHÂTEAU ST. GERLACH
This vineyard was planted in 2018 as part of the Château St. Gerlach estate. Here you will find 11,000 vines of classic and new grape varieties on approximately three hectares of land. The grapes are handpicked, after which they are vinified in Vijlen by Oenologist, Stan Beurskens and his team.
Tip! Take time to enjoy a glass of homegrown wine at Château St. Gerlach during your walk.
VINEYARD HALTE ST. GERLACH
Located in the village of Houthem St. Gerlach, the vineyard is home to 750 vines, planted on the southern slope of the Geuldal. A meeting place for wine lovers and local residents, visitors can adopt and care for their 'own' vines.
LENOIRE WINERY
Bas Lenoire dreamed of one day making his own wine and his ambition came to fruition when he purchased a plot of land on the Rasberg. He has since planted 11,000 vines with four grape varieties, from which he will produce four exclusive wines.
LEERWIJNGAARD ENTRE LES COLLINES
About ten years ago, this vineyard became a teaching institution for the Entre Les Collines Wine Guild. Here, experienced members vinify their grapes under the watchful eye of new members, who wish to gain practical knowledge beyond their basic understanding
Tip! Take home a taste of South Limburg
Enjoy a bottle of wine from South Limburg in the comfort of your own home. The Visit Zuid-Limburg Experience in Valkenburg offers a delicious range of local wines for purchase, so you can take the flavour of The Netherlands back with you.
… and borderless biking the Grensmaas Route
For those keen to take a leisurely stroll along the river Meuse on a sunny day, this is the route to follow. Nature merges across The Netherlands/Belgian borders at Rivierpark Maasvallei. The free-flowing Meuse is unnavigable for larger ships so has been encouraged to flourish as a natural habitat with a network of tributaries and ponds.
Your journey of discovery through Rivierpark Maasvallei is best started at Visitor Center De Wissen in Dilsen-Stokkem (BE), where you can discover key information about the setting. Strolling or biking through the city of Maaseik and along the Maasplassen in Kinrooi, you will follow the national border downstream. The return journey takes in the Dutch Meuse villages via Thorn and Stevensweert.
The Belgian and Dutch cycling networks flow seamlessly into each other. The houses, roads, licence plates and various beers 'on tap' or 'on keg' may differ on both sides of the river Meuse, but in terms of nature and culture there are many similarities. This shared history is beautifully reflected in the dialect, which is entirely clear to every Maaslander and equally unintelligible to every non-Maaslander.
Tip! Delve deeper into the history of the Maasland with a stopover in the cultural pearl of Maaseik, with its numerous museums. Discover the white town of Thorn, or the centuries-old fortified town of Stevensweert.
The river Meuse defines the region of Maasland. Over the centuries, the river has wended its way through the beautiful valley, giving nature free rein to establish a variety of habitats. And surprisingly, the Maasvallei is one of the driest and sunniest areas in the Benelux, which is a bonus for cyclists, but also an absolute asset for the many vineyards that grow in the unique terroir and produce the distinctive regional wines. Taste the results along the route at Wijndomein Aldeneyck or Wijngoed Thorn, alternatively relax on a sunkissed terrace at one of the many cycling cafés.
ITINERARY SUGGESTIONS
This borderless route is pleasingly flat and well paved. For the most part, you will cycle on car-free paths. Between junctions 27 and 50, there is a complimentary ferry that crosses the river Meuse.
DISTANCE
64 km
Start- and endpoint
Visitor Center De Wissen
Negenoordlaan 2
Dilsen-Stokkem
Belgium
Junctions
Start - 49 - 46 - 26 - 24 - 25 - 22 - 21 - 53 - 52 - 42 - 40 - 10 - 39 - 1 - 3 - 13 - 19 - 27 - 50 – 49
It is possible to shorten the route between junctions 22 and 1 by taking the bicycle ferry.
TAKE A LONGER ROUTE ALONG THE MEUSE
In South Limburg, the international Meuse Cycling Route runs along both banks of the river. It extends into France, Belgium, and The Netherlands, from source to estuary and is more than 1,000km long. This beautiful, signposted EuroVelo route offers a varied landscape with ancient towns and Meuse villages on both banks.
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