Cycling along the Maas

The Meuse has its source in distant France near Pouilly-en-Bassigny and is the guideline along which this route passes on Dutch territory. With the sound of the rippling water in the background, you can thoroughly enjoy all the beauty that the Maas and surrounding nature have to offer on this route. The environment here is beautiful! The Maas has shaped the landscape and the river itself has many faces. Under a radiant sun the river looks rustic, but when the weather is less good, the Maas turns into a swirling mass of water. Beautiful ponds, swamps, flower-rich grasslands and rugged forests on the banks are grazed by Konik horses and Galloway cattle. The area is used to extract gravel and has created many peat paths and gravel ridges that are wonderful to explore. Dilsen is located in Maasland, consisting of the Maas Valley, the Maasterraces and the Kempen Plateau. The height varies from 33 meters near the Meuse to 93 meters on the plateau. The Ledebos used to exist on the plateau, which gradually turned into heathland due to overgrazing. Nowadays this area is part of the Hoge Kempen National Park. The soil here consists of gravel and gravel-containing sand deposited by the Meuse in the Middle Pleistocene. There is a thin layer of loamy sand on top of this. In Dilsen you will be able to enjoy the sight of Ter Motten Castle. Presumably there was also an older castle here, of which you can no longer see it. The first owner was mentioned in 1375 and after him many prominent families lived at the castle. The current complex was built in 1725. It is a striking building in which the Baroque style predominates. In 1973, the castle grounds, including the park where you can see some remarkable trees, were sold to the municipality. It was then repurposed as a town hall.