Walking through the hills near Maastricht

In the countryside of Maastricht you can walk straight into the hills. Put on your sturdy shoes and come downshift here! Your route starts in Gronsveld, at De Kwizzenjer. You climb the Riesenberg, a hill that is part of the narrow, elongated Savelsbos. In this sloped forest you mainly see deciduous trees such as pedunculate oak, beech, maple and horse chestnut. You can quickly cool down after a climb under the canopy of these trees. Every now and then you have beautiful views. While walking you will pass some old marl quarries. Limestone (or marl) was extracted here until the Second World War. Bat colonies now live in the quarries. On the outskirts of Maastricht you will pass the Gronsveld: one of the five remaining tower mills in the Netherlands. This unique attraction dates back to 1623.