On the road through the beautiful Geleenbeek valley

The Geleenbeek Valley is a green pearl between several Limburg villages. Here you walk past orchards, grasslands and sloped forests that are so typical of the South Limburg landscape. There are pools, hedges and graves along the Geleenbeek.

Limburg villages in a hilly landscape

The majority of this route runs through the beautiful green landscapes of the Geleenbeek Valley. This is the habitat of the corn wolf, a wild hamster. This is the only place in the Netherlands where these animals live. You will also find kingfishers in this area and spherical mistletoes grow in the trees. The villages you walk through are Sweikhuizen, Puth and Schinnen. Sweikhuizen is located on a steep hill that is part of the Doenrade plateau. On the south side of this slope you will find the Stammenderbos and on the north side you will find the Danikerbos. Cycling races are regularly held that run over the slope towards Sweikhuizen. Puth is also located on the Doenrade plateau.

Schinnen

The third village you visit on this route is Schinnen. This village is mainly known for the Canisius syrup factory and the Alfa brewery that are located here. This village is also known for the first goat riding gang that emerged here. This was a gang of thieves who committed violent robberies and raided the countryside. They mainly robbed farms and parsonages.