A detour through the Elsloërbos

Between Geulle and Elsloo you can take a nice detour through the Elsloërbos, a nature reserve on the eastern terrace belt of the Meuse valley. Halfway through you will pass through the cultural-historical park of Kasteel Elsloo.

Castle Park
Castle Elsloo is the eye-catcher of the protected village view in Elsloo. A beautiful landscaped park was created around the castle at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Of course only for the castle residents, the people from the village only got access to the park in 1960. A walk through the park is like a journey through time: you experience the atmosphere of the past here. In the botanical garden you can see some rare trees. A delight for the nature lover.

Kingfisher
In the Elsloërbos mainly alder and beech grow. In this moist landscape you will also see springs, streams and waterfalls. Thanks to the unique soil conditions, some special plants grow here, such as giant horsetail. In the spring, the rare, onion-scented wild garlic blooms here. The kingfisher has settled in this nature reserve, with a bit of luck you can spot one.

Castle Elsloo
You can see Kasteel Elsloo from the park. Its predecessor was a little more to the west. The foundations of this become visible when the Meuse has an extremely low water level. According to tradition, this lost castle was part of a very large early medieval complex of military buildings. To escape the greedy Maas water, the then lord of the castle had a new castle built at the end of the fifteenth century at the current location of Kasteel Elsloo.