Cycling along the Maas and a visit to Horst

Moist grasslands, vast swamps, excavated peat ponds and fairytale forests lie in old Meuse meanders. Together they form the Broekhuizerbroek and the Lottumer Schuitwater on the west side of the Maas. In the middle lies a high drifting sand surface called the'Hondsberg\\\'. In the northwest there are many seepage waters that change into streams and channels due to the height differences, which benefits the diversity of aquatic plants.
Wellsche Heide, although it is a completely different type of landscape, is also worth mentioning. Because the name suggests that heathland predominates here, it is a nice surprise to see that this is a varied forest. Oaks and birches stretch towards the sky while mountain ash and berry-bearing shrubs adorn the forests lower to the ground. There are still some heathlands between the trees. Here you will find the rare sand lizard, sunbathing on the sand and the moth butterfly, fluttering from bush to bush.

Ooijen Castle appears near Broekhuizenvorst. The castle has undergone so many renovations over the years that there is doubt as to whether much of the original seventeenth-century building remains.