Enjoy a tour through Maastricht

Cycling through the heart of Maastricht, along the river bank and along the Maasboulevard, is a great experience. Here you can taste the atmosphere of the Limburg capital and it becomes clear why Maastricht is known as one of the nicest cities in the Netherlands. 

The trip over the hill plateau in the south of the municipality of Maastricht is a challenge. The Sint-Pietersberg is best known for the Limburg marl that is extracted there and the tunnel systems have become a true tourist attraction. On and against the mountain are beautiful forts and castles, which revive old times and atmospheres. The longest walking route in the Netherlands starts (or ends) at the top of the Sint-Pietersberg. The museum'Maison de la Montagne Saint-Pierre\\\', with an interactive and permanent exhibition, is the ideal place for an introduction to the unique Sint-Pietersberg.

During your bike ride, for example, you will pass through Sint-Anthoniusbank. About 40 houses make up the hamlet. There are many historical elements in the hamlet, if you know where to look. Despite its small scale, you can find two closed square farms there, but also a monumental farm that dates back to the seventeenth century despite its nineteenth-century construction, a former monastery in which apartments have been created and an old farm with the remains of a square tower and a covered well. .

Along the way, also stop at the Lombok Mill in the Maastricht Sint Pieter district. The medium-sized mill originally dates from around 1500 and was built on the left bank of the Jeker, a branch of the Maas. There used to be two mill buildings made of marl; one was used as a grain mill, the other as an oil mill. Only the grain mill still has an iron mill wheel from 1937. This building, which remained in operation until 1960, is therefore still referred to as 'the mill of Lombok'.

The castle of the same name is located in Eijsden, which is also called'de Borg\\\' or'Laag Caestertburg\\\'. The current castle was built in 1636, rebuilt in 1767 and then restored. This national monument consists of two wings standing at right angles to each other, both of which have a heavy corner tower on the outside. The whole is surrounded by a moat and the castle has a gatehouse with a forecourt. The park, built in 1900, is freely accessible.

Also get off your bike in Libeek to admire the castle. Until 2011, Libeek, or Liebik as the Limburgers call it, was part of Margraten. The place was founded in the thirteenth century and the town is home to the Libeek farm, the oldest parts of which also date from the thirteenth century. There used to be a knightly house on this site, but after the castle changed owners in the sixteenth century, the fortress was gradually converted into a tenant farm. Libeek has the largest farm in Limburg, which surrounds a square courtyard and the house, which is built of marlstone, was built and improved in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

Beyond Sibbe, near Wolfshuis, there is a belt mill from 1855: the Van Tienhoven mill. What is special about this mill is that it is the only mill in the Netherlands that is largely constructed from marl stones. The high place where the mill was ultimately built was favorable because of the wind catch. Whichever side you approach the mill from, it is always visible from afar.