Echt, Geleen and Nieuwstad

The municipality of Sittard-Geleen is located on the border between Central Limburg and the South Limburg hills. Sittard is one of the oldest places in the Netherlands and is the second oldest city in the province of Limburg. The town was first mentioned as "Sitter" in 1147, but finds have been made that show that the area was already inhabited long before the beginning of our era. The oldest villages in the Netherlands were once located here: around 5300 BC, the band pottery makers lived in small settlements that counted between 50 and 150 people. A complete burial ground with more than 100 remains was found in the Hoogveld district of Sittard. Many Roman parcel boundaries have also been found and pottery has been excavated. The Stadbroekermolen is also located in Sittard. This old watermill ground on the Molenbeek. This was the second watermill to be built on the Molenbeek. Due to the stench caused by grinding oak bark, the mill was built far outside the city. In addition to being a bark and grinding mill, the Stadbroekermolen also started to produce oil in 1699 and after the ban on the first mill in Sittard (Sittardermolen) was lifted, the turbine mill could also start grinding grain. After cycling thirty kilometres, you will arrive at Tuincafe Intratuin Geleen. This lovely garden café invites you to take a pleasant break. Children can have fun in the ball pit while adults enjoy a drink. A tasty snack can also be provided: a delicious Italian Panini, a freshly made healthy sandwich or a hearty omelette or fried egg will certainly go down well during this more than sixty kilometre long cycle tour! If you continue along the route, you will pass various historical buildings. Grasbroek Castle was once a real fortress. On the site there is a rectangular house from 1596. There are two residential floors that have been built with inward and outward-facing gables. There are 63 loopholes so that Grasbroek could be well defended and in the east corner there is a round, brick staircase tower. Diagonally opposite this tower, you can see a small arched tower on the west corner. Originally the castle was surrounded by a moat, but now that the moat has been drained, it is barely recognizable. Another beautiful castle is Limbricht Castle, which is still a rare example of a well-preserved motte castle. The castle from 1622, which stands on an artificial hill, is surrounded by a moat and the main castle has an outer bailey in the form of a U-shaped castle farm. There is also a gatekeeper's house and a milk house to be seen and in the eighteenth century a sheep house was added. The square main building has a small courtyard and loopholes can be clearly seen in the outer walls. In the rear wing, where a five-sided castle chapel from 1643 can be found, you can recognize a square staircase tower. After you have visited these historic castles, you cycle to a stately mansion: Huis Witham, also called Huis Wittem. In 1444, an old castle was built on the site of the current building. Around 1700, a house, named after its feudal lord Frederik van Wittem, was built on the remains of the historic fortress. The rectangular, white mansion was built of brick and has three floors. The oldest part of the building is the middle of the rear facade, where a semi-circular, closed extension stands. Near the house, which is adorned with a high, constricted hipped roof, there is a square-shaped farm from the beginning of the twentieth century and a tithe barn. If you look closely, you can see the remains of a dry moat. The last sight of this cycle tour is another historic watermill. The Poolmolen is part of a farm and derives its power from the Geleenbeek. The oldest mention of the mill dates back to 1662, but the current mill dates from 1883. Originally, the mill was equipped with three pairs of millstones, but only one of these is still in use. Because the mill is privately owned, it cannot be visited from the inside.