Maaseik, Neeroeteren and Kessenich

You will encounter history everywhere in the landscape between Maas and Zuid-Willemsvaart around Maaseik. Starting point Heppeneert is an immediate hit: a centuries-old village, beautifully situated on the Maasdijk, on the banks of the Oude Maas. The history of the village goes back to the rutting season. Originally, Heppeneert was located close to the Maas, but the river has moved further to the east over the centuries and now functions as a border between the Netherlands and Belgium. Nowadays Heppeneert is a popular pilgrimage site. Central is the statue of Our Lady of Rest, which was originally venerated in the chapel of the Kapellerhof (the Hof aen die Capelle dating from the Middle Ages) in Elen, where it had washed up centuries earlier during a flood of the Maas. In 1706, the tenant farm with the chapel was sold to the Crosiers of Maaseik and under their influence Marian worship increased further. During the French period, the pastor of Heppeneert hid the statue and in 1801 it was placed in the St. Gertrude Church. By the end of the 19th century, the church of Heppeneert was the center of devotion. Even today, tens of thousands of pilgrims come to Heppeneert every year to pray for mental and physical health or simply to relax. You can also feel the tranquility of this place on the bike. You cycle through the fields to Neeroeteren, where you pick up the towpath along the Zuid-Willemsvaart. You can continue cycling on this cycle path, but a little later you turn off again towards Jagersborg. This forest reserve consists of a beautiful moist birch and oak forest. Because large parts of the forest were poorly accessible for a long time, little maintenance has been carried out for decades. This allowed the forest to become wild: there was a lot of dead wood, but there was also spontaneous rejuvenation of the forest. You will find a whole maze of paths and waterways, wonderful to explore by bike. From here you cross to the north, between villages that seem very far away. You drive through a rural area of fields and meadows, all the way to the Dutch border. Then you follow the route through Kessenich and Geistingen to the Maas, which you cycle right along for a long way. But even if you don't spend the night here, the holiday feeling is unavoidable, especially if you sit on a terrace on the historic Market of Maaseik. Order a nice large piece of pie with your coffee, you deserve it!