Maastricht Mills along Bunde, Gronsveld and Eijsden

Cycling in the hilly landscape of Limburg is wonderful. The reward of a climb to the top of the hills is worth it, because you are rewarded with beautiful views of the landscape, while cycling down requires no effort at all. Cycling through the heart of Maastricht, along the riverbank and over the Maasboulevard, is a wonderful experience. Here you can taste the atmosphere of the capital of Limburg and it becomes clear why Maastricht is known as one of the most pleasant cities in the Netherlands. Near the car park in Eijsden, where you can park your car for free, you will come across Eijsden Castle. This castle is also called 'de Borg' or 'Laag Caestertburg' and is a national monument. The current castle was built in 1636, renovated in 1767 and then restored. It consists of two wings at right angles to each other, both of which have a heavy corner tower on the outside. The whole is surrounded by a moat and there is a gatehouse with a forecourt at the castle. The park, which was laid out in 1900, is freely accessible. Another beautiful building is the seventeenth-century country house, called De Houweert. Rectangular, built with bricks and closed off on the south side with a gable, the building dominates the estate on which it was built. A square tower stands against the west facade and a beautiful projecting chapel with bevelled corners is located on the east side. Nowadays, a hotel/restaurant is located there and rooms are rented out for meetings and parties. There are many watermills in this part of Limburg. The new mill, now called the Rothemermolen, is one of the many watermills in this region. The medium-speed watermill was built in 1850 to grind corn. Over the years, the water level has become lower, which made it increasingly difficult for the mill to turn. The mill was shut down around 1950 and the Nieuwe Molen was completely restored for the last time in the summer of 2009. The Groote Molen is also a watermill, but this one is used to generate electricity. The mill was built in 1935 and was originally powered by water only. In 1985, a 55 kilowatt generator was installed and since 1986, the mill has been supplying power to the grid. The Groote Molen now only uses water power indirectly and is powered by individual electric motors. Another beautiful mill is the Torenmolen van Gronsveld. The Netherlands has only five of this type of mill and the building is therefore in the Top 100 of Dutch UNECSO monuments. The impressive building was built between 1618 and 1623 and was originally a ground sailer. During the Second World War, the mill was shot at and burned down completely. The mill has been restored over the decades and the grinding equipment of a demolished windmill from Maarheeze was used as grinding mechanism in this mill. The next stop on the route is the Kasteel van Rijckholt. This national monument was built in the twelfth century. At the castle are a coach house and a hunting lodge, both built in the eighteenth century. The hunting lodge has a beautiful chalet-style roof. Originally, the castle had a double moat, but only one of them has been preserved. The Meschermolen is an overshot watermill from 1699. It was used as a corn mill and it is the first watermill on the Voer stream. The mill was in service for centuries and was only shut down in the early 1950s. The mill was no longer needed then, because an electric hammer mill came to the village. Between 1996 and 1998, the mill was restored and made operational again. The mill can be visited by appointment. The Muggemolen is another beautiful watermill. This midshot mill was used as a corn mill and was built in 1886. In the gable above the water wheel is a beautiful facade stone with a coat of arms, in which a flaming cross is depicted. The mill was last restored and made operational in 1973. The Breustermolen is a water mill that was built in 1791 as a corn mill. It performed its function for over two hundred years, until it was decommissioned in 1972. After this, the mill was equipped to supply electricity, just like the Groote Molen. A 24 kilowatt direct current generator was installed and from 1986 the mill was ready to supply electricity. However, the yield was very disappointing and the mill was restored to its original state in 1989. The last mill you will encounter during your bike ride is the Graanmolen van Eijsden. This water mill was built in 1857. This mill, which was used as a corn mill, replaced its predecessor that was built in 1788. One of the three couples present can be driven electrically so that the mill could also operate at low tide. The mill was in use until the early 1950s and then fell into disrepair. The mill was last restored in 1975 but is no longer in use. Finally, you can try the most delicious wines at the Heerenhoeven wine estate. The adjacent vineyard was planted in 1992 and all the grapes for the wine are grown fresh here. If you want to take a look at the vineyard, you can make an appointment for this.