Water mill route around Epen

A green sea of trees grows on the sloping plateau of Crapoel. The Crapoel Plateau, also known as the Eperheide Plateau, was formed because the rivers and streams in the area carved out the slopes. This created a sloping low plain, which slopes slowly towards the north from the Gulperberg. Heijenrath is located in the southwest; adjacent to the southeast you will find Eperheide. Eperheide is formed by about sixty farms. The hamlet consists of about 150 people, of which the first inhabitants planted the dry heathlands with coniferous trees: larch and Norway spruce. In 1995, a 1-hectare clearing was created because a storm and an insect infestation took hold of nature. Heather bushes started to grow here again. A herd of sheep grazes on the heath, expanding it by another hectare. The entire eastern edge of the plateau is covered with trees from the Schweibergerbos. There are various cultural-historical elements in this hillside forest. Between the trees is an old gravel farm, but there is also a hard stone cross with a corpus hidden between the trees. This memorial was erected in memory of five fallen British soldiers. The bomber they flew in crashed in this forest during World War II. The plaque bears the five names of the brave fallen. The bike ride leads you to several beautiful watermills, such as the Onderste Molen. The original historic mill was built in 1215. The building was then still called the commander's mill. Later, after a restoration, the mill was renamed the'Lower Mill\\\'. The Onderste Molen is a corn mill and used to grind on the Geul, but it was later also used to generate electricity. With a restoration in 2005, the mill was made fully operational again and now runs on a voluntary basis. The Neubourger mill was built in 1712 on the river Gulp. This mill, located in Gulpen, was also called the Mill of Roex. Until 1840, with the exception of the period 1809-1816, the medium-sized water mill ground clothing into a pulp. Paper was scooped from this manually. In 1853 the mill was converted into a grain mill, where in 1907 a turbine with iron gear was placed. Further modernization was carried out in 1930, when an electric motor was installed in the mill. In 2013, the Neubourgermolen is on the national monument list. A cozy restaurant annex pancake house is located in the mill. Kasteel Groenendael is a beautiful castle that was mainly used for agricultural purposes. The original moated building was built in 1775, but the fortified house was demolished in 1921. A new castle arose on the foundations, in which remains of the old walls have been incorporated. Originally, the Groenendaals mill, which is also powered by the water of the Gulp, belonged to the house. The year of construction of the watermill is unknown. In 1966 the mill was turned into a home and it lost its function as a flour mill. You can park your car for free at Camping and restaurant Rozenhof. Burgundian enjoyment starts here between the hills of Limburg. Pitch your tent or caravan at the cozy campsite or rent one of the cozy cottages. Panoramic views, an attractive restaurant, a rustic bar, coziness on the terrace and a second route that departs from this location (134338) make this campsite a nice place to spend the night.