Ohé and Laak, Echt and Roosteren

Discover the landscape that took shape with the Maas as its architect during this beautiful cross-border cycling tour. Beautiful ponds, swamps, flower-rich grasslands and rugged forests on the banks are grazed by Konik horses and Galloway cattle. Under a radiant sun the river looks rural, but when the weather is less good, the Maas turns into a swirling mass of water. The area is used to extract gravel and has created so many paths and gravel ridges that are wonderful to explore. When you cross the border into the Netherlands you pass through the varied nature reserve De Doort. Follow the winding streams and cycle between and through meadows, fields and swamps with large and small ponds, which were created by intensive clay extraction. The varied forests consist of pedunculate oaks, hornbeams, ash trees, elms, gray poplars, sweet cherries, silver birches, black alders and American oaks. The old, densely planted trees give the area something mysterious and fairytale-like. Slender primrose, golden buttercup, spotted arum and spectacular wild daffodils are just a selection of the exuberant vegetation you will find here. A large population of several thousand specimens of the rare tree frog lives along the forest edges, but the great crested newt also thrives there. Among the trees you can hear the song of the rare, shy water rail, the nightingale, the tree creeper, several species of woodpeckers and the golden oriole, but these are just a few of the feathered forest inhabitants. Water birds such as the coot, the wild duck and the blue heron are accompanied by many dragonflies on the lakes. There are also special species, such as the fire damselfly and the wandering armored damselfly. At B&B Aen de Roderburgh, where the cycling tour starts and ends, you can enjoy a wonderful weekend away. During your stay you can choose from five charming themed rooms, all of which have something to do with the environment, the past or the passions of the owners. comfortable hotel room. Choose an overnight stay in the Farmer's Room, the Horse Room, the Rose Room, the Hunting Room or the Old Room. This gives you the opportunity to also discover route 133161 the next day, which shows you a completely different part of the beautiful Meuse Valley.