The ancient history of the Glory of Simpelveld-Bocholtz

Simpelveld and Bocholtz have been connected for centuries. Follow in the footsteps of the past with this beautiful walk!

Castle Bongard
Your route starts at Groenveld Simpelveld. But have a few pleasant days and book a bungalow here, or just enjoy a cup of coffee in the restaurant before you set off: just what you want! Then you walk to Bocholtz and Bongard Castle. The name refers to orchard, formerly written as bongard. The current sixteenth-century castle is a lot smaller than the fortress that originally stood here, but with the round corner tower it is quite a picture!

Roman traces
Simpelveld and Bocholtz used to belong to the same seigneury. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the castle was the administrative center of the seigneury for many years. The remains of two Roman villas have also been excavated in this church village. Simpelveld is also centuries old: it probably originated in the early Middle Ages, originated from a Roman settlement.