Along the Maas from Maaseik to Maasmechelen

On one bank a grist mill and on the other a fulling mill, also used as a running mill. Around 1818 a paper mill was installed by JJ Titeux, who was a printer in Maaseik, but from 1863 the mill was again used exclusively as a flour mill. The mill was closed down not long after 1960, but it remains a beautiful spot.

Via the old railway bed you drive through the greenery to the As station, which was previously used as a starting station for coal trains. Today it is used for the tourist railway line Waterschei-As-Eisden. Then you cross to the Maas valley, where you also follow the Maas itself for a long way. Under a radiant sun the river looks rustic, but when the weather gods are in a bad mood it turns into a swirling mass of water.

Along the Maas you will see beautiful ponds, swamps and flower-rich grasslands. Just before the end of the route you pass through Heppeneert, a centuries-old village, beautifully situated on the Maasdijk, on the banks of the Oude Maas. The history of the village goes back to the rutting season. Originally, Heppeneert was located close to the Maas, but the river has moved further to the east over the centuries and now functions as a border between the Netherlands and Belgium. Nowadays Heppeneert is a popular pilgrimage site. Central is the statue of Our Lady of Rest, which was originally venerated in the chapel of the Kapellerhof (the Hof aen die Capelle dating from the Middle Ages) in Elen, where it had washed up centuries earlier during a flood of the Maas. In 1706, the tenant farm with the chapel was sold to the Crosiers of Maaseik and under their influence Marian worship increased further. During the French period, the pastor of Heppeneert hid the statue and in 1801 it was placed in the St. Gertrude Church. By the end of the 19th century, the church of Heppeneert was the center of devotion. Even today, tens of thousands of pilgrims come to Heppeneert every year to pray for mental and physical health or simply to relax. You can also feel the peace and quiet emanating from this place on the bike.

Take some time to sit on a terrace in Maaseik - maybe you could use a dose of culture, there are plenty of museums here! Also cycle the 2nd beautiful route in Belgium; 143673