Up and down along the Limburg Maas

Explore the Dutch border area with Belgium above Maastricht. Between Geulle and Maaseik you cycle from village to city, enjoying the rolling Limburg landscape and the Maas valley. The Maas rises in faraway 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 intensely enjoy all the beauty that the Maas and surrounding nature have to offer on this route. The municipality of Maaseik is part of the Limburg Maasland, which consists of the actual Maas valley, which is approximately four kilometers wide and the Maas terraces. 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 the Burgemeester Philipslaan. When this road was reconstructed, the foundations of the Eikerpoort were discovered. The foundations of the count's castle have been exposed in the parking garage under the Kolonel Aertsplein. These can still be seen. Geulle Castle is the first attraction you will 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 can see some gate pillars from the eighteenth century. The interior of the castle dates from 1915. Architect W. Sprenger has redesigned the building, which also has chimneys executed in three fragments. You make 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 one with syrup, you can order many more delicious varieties. 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 from marl, has a northern and an eastern wing and two floors. There were deep moats and wide ponds around it. The oldest part of the castle is a former brewery that was built in 1567, but there is also a tenant farm with a tenant house that dates from 1730. The large barn dates from 1720 and the stable that stands perpendicular to it dates from 1775. Nothing remains of the old castle, except for the foundations and a small part of the wall. The mill that stands on the other side of the Geleenbeek, the Sint Jansmolen, is also part of the castle. The last stop along the route is the Molen van Hulsen. It is a water mill that grinds on the water of the Molenbeek river. In the past, the watercourse was called the Walsenbeek and this watermill used to be owned by noble families. In 1878-1879, the Onderste Molen was demolished and rebuilt. After that, a farm was established.