Walking through historic Grave

Grave is a beautiful fortified town on the Maas. You can see numerous sights there, such as churches and monumental buildings. This route also takes you to Bronkhorst Castle.

Bronkhorst Monastery Castle
The former Bronkhorst Castle (not to be confused with its namesake in Gelderland) is located just outside Grave. The original fifteenth-century castle was transferred to a sister order in 1858. They had most of the castle demolished to build a monastery. Parts of the original wallwork were incorporated into the monastery buildings. After the Second World War the monastery slowly emptied. Nowadays the building houses apartments.

Historic Grave
However small Grave is, the fortified town has approximately 130 national monuments. From the Elftweg you can see the Hampoort from 1688 on the edge of the old center. This was part of the fortifications that were demolished in 1876. On the Hoofdwagt you will find the old town hall from 1615 and the thirteenth-century St. Elisabeth Church. Café de Gouden Leeuw dates from the year 1750 and previously served as a hotel. Nowadays you can go to this cozy café for a snack and a drink.

Too bad for Cuijck
Herman van Cuijk was a Dutch nobleman who lived in the twelfth century. After his castle in Cuijck was destroyed, he was exiled. He returned around 1138 to build a new castle. Not in Cuijck itself, but in the current Grave, located further along the Maas. The town grew up around this castle. In 1233, Grave received city rights. According to a legend, Grave bought these city rights from... Cuijk, the former place of residence of the lords of Cuijk who resided in Grave at that time. There is no actual evidence for this story. Nevertheless, Grave is now a city and Cuijk is still often referred to as a 'former city'.

From Café De Gouden Leeuw you can also cycle route 114716 to admire the windmills on the Maas.