Be amazed by the natural heritage of the South Limburg National Landscape, an area covering a total of 44,523 hectares and encompassing the southernmost part of the Netherlands. Cycling through the area you will find sunken roads and beautiful standard orchards. The famous tourist attraction Valkenburg is also in the area and with a visit you can climb the Cauberg, visit the marl caves, visit Valkenburg castle or sit on a terrace and enjoy people watching. in the bustling Grotestraat in the center of the town. Valkenburg is located in a landscape full of half-timbered farms, chapels and crucifixes. You will pass many small church villages, where you get a good feeling of the outdoors in Limburg. Cultural history plays an important role here: processions and shooting festivals are regularly organized. Cycling through Limburg means cycling over hills, to peaks and valleys, from one striking place in history to the next location seems even more important. This cycle tour leads around the rolling landscape of the Sint Jansbos. This slope forest turns into the Biebosch on the northwest side. The route starts at Parkhotel Valkenburg. From this hotel, which is the oldest hotel in the Netherlands that is still in use, you cycle to a castle-like country house on the edge of Valkenburg: Kasteel Oost. The building was built in neoclassical style of ocher-colored marl. The country house only acquired this style in the 1830s. The building was certainly built in the 17th century, but a mention of a 14th-century castle has been found, which could mean East Castle. The lower east and west wings were service buildings. To the east of the castle complex you will see a detached coach house. A playground has also been constructed. One kilometer further the next castle presents itself: Schaloen, 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: Kasteeltuin Oud Valkenburg. Another 500 meters further you 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 castle garden has also been restored to its former glory, with some monumental beans still remaining. 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. Finally, Groenendael Castle and the Groenendaalsmolen appear. Originally it was not really a castle but more of a fortified, moated house. It therefore had no knight status. Only foundations of the original building from 1775 remain, because the building was demolished in 1921 and part of the remains of the old building have been incorporated into the walls of the new house. The Groenendaalsmolen is a beautiful watermill that is also called Groenendalsmolen. The mill, which grinds on the water of the Gulp near Euverem, originally belonged to Groenendaal Castle. The exact year of construction of the flour mill is unknown. In 1871 the mill and associated house had become so dilapidated that they were demolished and rebuilt. In 1939 a nasty accident occurred: an eighteen-year-old maid was caught by a rotating axle and died from his injuries. In 1951, a fire broke out in the mill, which was subsequently repaired and rebuilt. The mill was completely converted into a house in 1966 and thus lost its function as a flour mill. On the river Gulp, on the edge of the town of Gulpen, there is also the Neubourger mill, which is also called the Roex mill. This medium-speed watermill was installed in 1712 to grind paper. Until 1840, with the exception of the period 1809-1816, the mill ground clothing into pulp, from which paper was manually made. In 1853 it was decided to convert the mill into a grain mill, in which a turbine with iron movement was installed in 1907. Further modernization was carried out in 1930, when an electric motor was installed in the mill. A restaurant and pancake house is located in the current national monument. When you return to Parkhotel Valkenburg, we highly recommend a stay in this hospitable, centuries-old hotel. With a unique ambiance and wonderful wellness options, this is an excellent location to relax after the exertion of cycling through the hilly landscape. French cuisine conjures up culinary delights for you, while you relax with a drink on the terrace. With a stay at Parkhotel Valkenburg you can use the package with route 142603, which leads you to the heart of bustling Maastricht.