Eygelshoven, Kerkrade

Well-known, larger cities are vibrant in Limburg! Heerlen is one of the largest municipalities in Limburg. Traditionally, Heerlen was fairly isolated because there were no good supply and drainage roads and the city was therefore hidden between the hills. The city was self-sufficient and derived a lot of income from mining. It was not until 1896 that Heerlen received a station and connection to the Dutch railway network, making the city accessible to the surrounding area. Thanks to a flourishing trade, the town has grown into the city it is today.

Kerkrade is also a nice city to soak up the atmosphere. It has a checkered history with three countries and has belonged to Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. The land on which Kerkrade was developed was originally Dutch territory. As part of's-Hertogenrode, Kerkrade belonged to Prussia from 1815 to 1816, because in 1815 the independent glory was assigned to that border town. After Kerkrade split away and became part of the Netherlands again, Belgium declared its independence and claimed the territory of Kerkrade. The town was not returned to the Netherlands until 1839, when Belgium was internationally recognized as an independent country with the Treaty of London.

You cycle a little further and enter Landgraaf, which is known to many people for its large ski hall and the annual Pinkpop festival. Take a few hours to enjoy the beautiful plants and styles in the Mondo Verde World Gardens. The gardens form a beautiful amusement park of 25 hectares complete with animals. In the Tropenhal it is always more than 20 degrees Celsius and the Italian, Moroccan, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, English and Portuguese gardens are stunningly beautiful. A kind of desert has also been created, which is in sharp contrast to the Moorish garden, where water basins and fountains predominate.

The Strijthagermolen is located a few hundred meters from the entrance of Mondo Verde. This watermill from 1617 took its current form in 1700 when it was rebuilt. The water wheel is powered by water from the reservoir at Strijthagen Castle and that is not surprising, because the mill originally belonged to the castle. Demonstrations are regularly given at the medium-speed watermill.

After your visit to the mill and the gardens, you get back on your bike to cycle to the historic's-Heeren Anstel castle. The complex consists of two economic buildings positioned at right angles to each other around a beautiful forecourt. If you look closely you can see the traces of an old canal that has now been filled in. A beautiful cellar has been built under the right wing with breathtakingly beautiful vaulted ceilings between the brick arches.

The last sight of the tour is the Baalsbrugger mill, which once belonged to Rolduc Abbey. In the eighteenth century, the mill was used as a flour mill that ground rye and wheat, but it was also used to beat oil. The wheels of the oil mill hung at the front of the facade and those of the oil and wheat mill turned on their own water canal. The last two were demolished halfway through the nineteenth century. Flooding destroyed the remaining water wheel in 1916. That year a turbine was installed. The mill has been a national monument since 1967.