Up and down along the Limburg Maas

Explore the Dutch border area near Belgium above Maastricht. Between Geulle and Maaseik you cycle from village to city, enjoying the rolling Limburg landscape and the Maas valley. The Meuse rises in distant France near Pouilly-en-Bassigny and is the guiding principle of this route on Dutch territory. With the sound of the rippling water in the background, you can thoroughly enjoy all the beauty that the Maas and surrounding nature have to offer on this route. The municipality of Maaseik is part of Limburg's Maasland, which consists of the actual Maas Valley, which is approximately four kilometers wide, and the Maasterranes. In addition to the Maas, there are two streams in the municipality, the Bosbeek and the Zanderbeek. The planned street pattern from the time of the foundation of Maaseik is still clearly recognizable. The city walls had to make way for Burgemeester Philipslaan. When this road was rebuilt, the foundations of the Eikerpoort were discovered. The foundations of the count's castle have been uncovered in the parking garage under Kolonel Aertsplein. These can still be seen today. Geulle Castle is the first sight you encounter. The current castle is an outer bailey of the former seventeenth-century castle that was demolished in 1847. There is a moat around the castle and on the west side you can reach the gatehouse via an arched bridge. On the other side of the road you will see some fence pillars from the eighteenth century. The interior of the castle dates from 1915. Architect W. Sprenger redecorated the building, which also has chimneys in three fragments. You find your way through the rolling landscape until you reach De Pannekoekenbakker Maaseik after 29 kilometers. In the heart of the town, on the Markt, you will find this nice establishment where you can go for a tasty snack. More than 250 different pancakes are on the menu, in addition to the classic pancake with bacon or a sweet old-fashioned with syrup, you can order many more tasty variants. With a full stomach and a new dose of energy you cycle to a castle that was once called the"huys van Spaubeke\\\". The current Sint Jansgeleen dates from 1567. The rectangular house, built of marl, has a northern and an eastern wing and two floors. There were deep canals and wide ponds around it. The oldest part of the castle is a former brewery built in 1567, but there is also a tenant farm with a tenant's house dating from 1730. The large barn dates from 1720 and the stable perpendicular to it dates from 1775. Nothing remains of the old castle, except the foundations and a small piece of the wall. The mill on the other side of the Geleenbeek, the Sint Jansmolen, is also part of the castle. The last stop is the Hulsen Mill along the route. It is a water mill that grinds on the water of the Molenbeek river. The watercourse used to be called the Walsenbeek and this watermill used to be owned by noble families. In 1878-1879 the Lower Mill was demolished and rebuilt. Afterwards a farming business was established.