A tour of the Maasplassen

At the Maasplassen you will find one of the oldest and largest church villages in Central Limburg, called Heel. Heel was known in Roman times as Catualium. At that time, the place was located on the Heerbaan, which was used by Roman soldiers for their passage through Limburg. The Maasplassen play a major role for Heel because of the water recreation. The village is almost completely surrounded by water, which was created by large-scale gravel and sand extraction. There is a park with holiday homes where every water sports enthusiast can have a wonderful holiday. The route starts at the cozy hotel De Spaenjerd. In this beautiful hotel you can have a delicious lunch before you start the route. With an extensive menu, there is something tasty for everyone for a reasonable price. This way you can ensure that you start this extensive route of 55 km with a well-filled stomach. The first stop on the route, after you cross the Belgian border, you will pass Groenenberg Castle. This beautiful castle dates from 1890 and is located in the middle of a beautiful 45 hectare park. With winding roads, curved forest edges and extensive lawns, the design of the beautiful park fits in perfectly with the typical image of English garden architecture. The park is an oasis of tranquility with beautiful plants such as azaleas, hydrangeas and rhododendrons. Then you cycle to De Grote Hegge castle. This breathtaking castle is located on the edge of Thorn, approximately 300 meters from the old center. This unique monumental location exudes history, but also has a modern touch. The castle is currently used as a conference center and has several rooms. Weddings, parties, funerals and coffee tables are organized there, among other things. Ten kilometers further you cycle past the St. Lindertmolen. This beautiful open post mill was built around 1790. At that time, the base was not yet walled and covered, which is the case now. The mill was decommissioned in 1965. The mill was restored in 1969, after which it was still occasionally milled. In 1997 it turned out that the furniture beetle had severely damaged the woodwork. A new restoration followed. Nowadays the mill grinds grain on a voluntary basis. The mill can be visited on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. After approximately 38 kilometres of cycling through the beautiful green surroundings you will return to hotel De Spaenjerd. Here you can relax in the restaurant and have a delicious dinner. If you want to see more of the area, book an overnight stay in the cosy hotel. This way you can make use of our arrangement and also explore route 133142.