Tour of Rijkevoort, Gennep and Afferden

The Groeningse and Vortumse Bergen is a narrow belt of river dunes on the Maas. A beautiful small-scale landscape of scrubland and poor grasslands where you can find badger dens. Thousands of years ago, the Maas flowed on the other side of the dunes and the westerly wind blew the sand high up here. Here you are in the middle of the Maasheggen, the oldest agricultural landscape in the Netherlands and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. You will see numerous hedges here, which have grown densely together. Ideal for keeping cattle in place. For example, there is a lot of hawthorn growing here, which blooms beautifully in the spring. Take a break along the way at Palinghuis Bardoel! On the right bank of the Maas you will discover De Maasduinen National Park: a terraced landscape consisting of lower and higher sandy soils, the Maas valley and a plateau.