A visit to Valkenburg

Cycling through Limburg means cycling over hills, where you fight against the peaks and then glide smoothly down the valleys. You go from one striking place in history to the next and you see many important locations. The rolling character of the landscape gives you the feeling that you are abroad. You will pass through small church villages and vineyards such as the special Wahlwiller where you will experience the atmosphere of the Burgundian outdoor life in Limburg.

Then you follow the Geuldal nature reserve. Due to the alternating wet and dry soil, special flora and fauna can be discovered. In addition to wet hay meadows and otterflower grasslands, reed orchid and the one and only cuckoo flower, there is also a so-called zinc flora locally. For example, you will find zinc violets and zinc cherry. The Geuldal also has a varied animal life such as the midwife toad, yellow-bellied and great crested newt, hazel dormouse, badger, red-backed shrike, hawfinch, large yellow wagtail, little owl and many butterflies such as the field fritillary butterfly.

The history of Wylre Castle in the village of the same name goes all the way back to 1040. Nowadays, Wylre Castle'castle\\\' is no longer a real castle, but rather a spacious mansion surrounded by a moat. There is a beautiful garden surrounding the building, with several terraces at the rear that were constructed in 1910. The main building and outbuildings are all on the National Register of Monuments.

Once you have cycled 31 kilometers, you will come to three impressive buildings that are located a short distance from each other. First there is the medieval Genhoes castle, which is beautifully embedded in the Geul valley. The castle is lovingly maintained and is in good condition. The historic Oud-Valkenburg castle garden has also been restored to its former glory, with some monumental beans still remaining.
Then you come to Schaloen Castle, originally from the 14th century and built rectangular. The different types of marl from which the building is constructed show us that the building has undergone various reconstructions and renovations. In 1575 there was a major fire, in 1656 it was restored after years of vacancy, in 1894 it was restored again, this time in neo-Gothic style, and the castle was given the appearance as it can still be seen in 2014.

On the south side flows the winding Molenbeek, which in the sixteenth century was still the main stream of the Geul. The Schaloensmolen water mill was built on this stream in 1701, the last mill in Oud-Valkenburg and Schin op Geul. The mill was closed down at the end of the 1950s. After years of inactivity, a group of volunteers renovated the mill again, without restoring the grinding function. A native garden was created near the mill, which is still open to visitors today.
The famous tourist attraction Valkenburg with its striking castle ruins that overlooks the city, not only has many terraces in the city center, but also beautiful sights.

The French Mill is a watermill and a national monument located in the middle of Valkenburg. This was built in 1804 on the right bank of the Geul, by the Frenchman Fertrand Loisel. Because of its origins, the'French Mill\\\' was baptized as such. The mill was used as a flour mill and received a new iron water wheel in 1929. Shortly after the Second World War the mill was closed down. Like many other striking locations, this building is also a national monument.

The Old Mill is also called the Ban Mill. The exact year of construction is unknown, but it is known that the part of the mill that was on the left bank was demolished in 1860. A large mill building made of marlstone was built in its place. In 1901 the water mill burned down, which meant it had to be rebuilt. The opportunity was taken to replace the water wheel with a turbine, which was delivered in 1919. When the Old Mill came to a standstill in 1960, it fell into disrepair. The national monument has been milling wheat organically again since 1984. The mill is also used to generate electricity.