Burgundian Maastricht, a wonderful destination

Burgundian Maastricht is a wonderful destination for a day of cycling. Enjoy the sun on one of the many nice terraces and cycle over the Sint Pietersberg and along the Maas to the beautiful Voer region. The Jekerkwartier, the Latin Quarter of Maastricht, is one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in the city. With the nice cafes and old houses around the city walls, you really enter a different world here. Maastricht is a beautiful historic city, but you can also have fun in terms of design. The eastern bank of the Maas has taken on a completely new face in recent years with the Center Ceramique and the Bonnefanten Museum, both beautiful to discover from the cycle path along the Maas. Outside the city, Maastricht has many more surprises in store. This way you can quickly leave the city bustle south of the center behind you when you cycle out of the city along the Jeker river in the direction of the Sint-Pietersberg. The Jeker flows into the Maas in Maastricht and that is precisely where the Romans settled in Maastricht in the 1st century BC. The Jeker brought the Romans supplies from the farms in the hinterland. And such a river is always useful to flood everything when the enemy approaches. The Sint Pietersberg is the division between the Jeker and the Maas. A steep climb takes you up - something for cyclists, or else with an e-bike. Two completely different landscapes: how lovely the Jeker is, how rugged and wide the Maas is. You can enjoy a beautiful view over the Maas from the terrace of Buitengoed Slavante, one of the most beautiful terraces in the wider region. You will find it automatically if you follow the Maas to the south, near the ferry. On this terrace you raise a glass to the place where a Franciscan monastery was built in 1455. The fathers brewed their own beer here at the time, which was well known. Guests from far and wide came to the monastery to enjoy a beer and the beautiful view of the Maas and the Maas Valley, just like now. The French Revolution in 1795 marked the end: the monastery was sold and demolished. Only the then inn remained standing; the little white house on the estate. The current building was built in 1846 as a country estate for a Maastricht society. The upper class was welcome here. Even the royal family regularly visited the estate: before the building was completed, King Willem II opened the row in 1841. Wilhelmina got such a taste that she returned again in 1903 with her husband Hendrik and again in 1925, with her daughter Juliana. So you are in good company here - a great spot to end the day in style, with a drink on the terrace. At Ternaïen, south of the Sint Pietersberg, at the place where the Albert Canal and the Maas meet, you will see something else special: the largest inland navigation lock in Europe is currently being built. There are already a number of locks here, but the construction of a fourth lock, measuring 220 by 25 meters, is desperately needed. The locks still cause a lot of delays - if you, as a skipper, are waiting here until you can get through, you can lose a few hours to a whole day. That is why the complex is still called the'Stop of TernAA\\\'. This gigantic project, which also includes a hydroelectric power station and pumping station, costs a lot of money: 120 million euros - of which 27 million is sponsored by the EU. The construction is a Walloon project, but the Netherlands also contributes - financially (with 9 million) and with expertise. Shipping is and remains important. Worth cycling past, this example of industrial heritage 'in the making'. Especially when a ship goes up or down through the old locks, a beautiful sight with that enormous drop of about 14 meters. Your route will lead you further to the lovely Voerstreek, a collection of villages between the beautiful green hills.'s-Gravenvoer, for example, has developed as a ribbon village along the Voer river, with numerous footbridges over the water to the houses. The church, the parsonage and several farms in the immediate vicinity date from the 18th century - a very prosperous time for this village. Drop by Toerisme Voerstreek in's Gravenvelden for more information about this special area - for example, they have numerous cycling routes, but they can also point you to the nicest living room cafes and restaurants.