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 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 ramparts, you really step into another 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 been given a completely new look 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 quickly leave the bustle of the city south of the center behind you when you cycle the river Jeker out of the city in the direction of Sint-Pietersberg. The Jeker flows into the Maas in Maastricht and it is precisely there that 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 things when the enemy came. The Sint Pietersberg is the separation 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 rough 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, at the height of the ferry. On this terrace you raise your 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 over 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 former inn remained standing; the little white house on the estate. The current building was built in 1846 as the outside for a Maastricht society. The well-to-do bourgeoisie was welcome here. Even the royal family regularly visited the country estate: even before the building was completed, King Willem II opened the row in 1841. Wilhelmina got a taste for it so much that she came back again in 1903 with her husband Hendrik and again in 1925, with her daughter Juliana. So you are in good company here - a great place to end the day in style, with a drink on the terrace. At Ternaaien, south of Sint Pietersberg, where the Albert Canal and the Maas meet, you will see something else special: construction is currently underway on the largest inland navigation lock in Europe. There are already a number of locks here, but the construction of a fourth lock, measuring 220 by 25 metres, is urgently needed. The locks still cause a lot of delay - if you are waiting here as a skipper until you can go through, you can lose a few hours to a whole day. That is why the complex is still called'Stop van Ternaaien\\\'. This gigantic project, which also includes a hydroelectric power station and pumping station, costs a nice penny: 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 will remain important. Worth cycling by, this piece 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 leads you further to the lovely Voer region, a collection of villages between the beautiful green hills.'s-Gravenvoeren, for example, has developed as a ribbon village along the river Voer, with numerous footbridges over the water to the houses. The church, rectory and several farms in the immediate vicinity date back to the 18th century - a very prosperous time for this village. Visit the Voerstreek Tourism Office in's Gravenvoeren for more information about this special area - for example, they have numerous cycling routes, but they also know how to direct you to the nicest living room cafes and restaurants.