Historical places along the border

There are picturesque villages and the border with Belgium along the edge of the Limburg capital Maastricht. These play the leading role in this route, which also introduces you to a part of the country of our southern neighbors. The rolling plain offers beautiful views over seas of green. The village of Cadier en Keer is surrounded by rustic farmlands, ancient forests and two vineyards; a spectacular panorama! Then you cycle to the Meschermolen. The Meschermolen is an overcast water mill from 1699. It was used as a flour mill and it is the first water mill on the Voer stream. The mill served for centuries and was only closed down in the early 1950s. The mill was then no longer needed, because an electric hammer mill was installed in the village. The mill was restored between 1996 and 1998 and made suitable for grinding again. The mill can be visited by appointment. The last mill you will encounter during your cycle tour is the Eijsden Grain Mill. This water mill was built in 1857. This mill, which was used as a flour mill, replaced its predecessor that was built in 1788. One of the three couples present can be driven electrically so that the mill could also run at low tide. The mill was in use until the early 1950s and then fell into disrepair. The mill was last restored in 1975 but is no longer used. The last sight on the route is Libeek Castle. Until 2011, Libeek, or Liebik as the Limburgers call it, was part of Margraten. The place was founded in the thirteenth century and the town is home to the Libeek farm, the oldest parts of which also date from the thirteenth century. There used to be a knightly house on this site, but after the castle changed owners in the sixteenth century, the fortress was gradually converted into a tenant farm. Libeek has the largest farm in Limburg, which surrounds a square courtyard and the house, which is built of marlstone, was built and improved in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.