Surrounding area, Maastricht

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Allready at the north of the Maasdal (Maas Valley), in Stein, you can see it shing on the horizon: DSM. Yes, we are now most off the beaten as possible, since here Maastricht Surroundings stop since Maastricht tourist offices do not generally see places like Geleen and Sittard as immediate surrounding. For tourist info on these places check under the names of Sittard and so on. For the South Limburgian tourist district, there is a good co-opration with the tourist offices in Maastricht, Valken burg and Heerlen, they overlap eachother in proviving informations, reservations, in booking hotelrooms (yes, at crowded festivals like the Preuvenemint, it is all booked out as for hotels ot restaurants; so you might find yourself being in a hotel in Heerlen). Many of the regional off the beaten places mentioned in my Maastricht pages are located in this page, since they are yet too small, and therfor not large enough to build many usefull tips about, yet, they should in my eyes be mentioned since they are absolutely interested, especially in case you want to see soemthing new. My list of off the beaten path tips will not be complete without mentioning the DSM, at the border of Sittard-Geleen city. Geleen has grown out to an importat industrial centre. Once here the biggest coalmine of Europe was located. Now the surroundinmg is dominated by a petro-chemical industry DSM. (Dutch State Mines) after the closing of the mines in South-East Limbeurg, it developed as a artifial fertilizer company. Coming/going from Maastricht at the highway to the north you cant escape the look of this factory complex. Here it is clear that we are dealing with a future new monument. Lovers of indart (industrial art) love to have it as object for photografie or artfilms. Indeed, I must admit, already as a little kid I was impressed by the large (kilometres long) complex which in the evening dark is sort of magic by its lights, tubes and towers.

The Maas Valley was already inhabited by the Romans and has eversince remained an important area for trade, cultivation, farmers and residential housing. Nowadays this area is still poular because many castles, historic village and nice nature cab be found here. The Maas omnipresent in the valley comes from the Langres platwu in France, is one of the important big rivers of the couyntry, and in the region of the maasdal the hill land means that the water is here in a river valley, namely at the food of the 110 meteres high Sint Pietersberg. The villages of the Maasdal, Susteren, Elsloo and Bunde, can be reached easy by train (by slwo train only) and they are to be reached by busses (on workdays on regular times) But in order to explore the maas valleu one better hir a bike. There are good biking paths and they are well signposted. What to visit in the valley? 1. Susteren. This is the norhern village of the Maasdal. The country is here small, only 5 kilometre. There is a cloister from the 8 th. Century and a roman church the Amelberga church, which dates from the middle ages. In the treasure room of this church you fin old midle aged plates with bible figures. Aslo some statues by the artist Steffeswert are exposed. 2. Stein. This village has an interesting museum for archeology. Roman foundings are exposed. In the nort of Stein you enter the a little village with an old historoc village center. It is a protected village. 3. Elsloo. The ‘raadhuisstraat’ is very picureque and the ceramiques from the village are well known and visible in the streek-museum Elsloo. This building is 17 th. Century. In the roman days the village was a port. The village has a castle with a french garden, having 2000 plants. 4. Finally, for a nice walk in nature, get off the train in Geulle, where the ‘bunderbos’ is accessable. This is a forrest with unique –in terms compared to the rest of the country – flowers and plants. It is a hill wood, which is also unique for the country.

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Only 15 minutes by car from Maastricht, you will find Fort Eben-Emael, in Belgium.

This was allegedly the STRONGEST FORTRESS OF EUROPE in its time. Yet, it took the Germans only 15 MINUTES to take control over the fortress when the second world war started!

You will learn how this was possible when you visit the fort, which is opened to the public only one weekend per month. So check out the website and plan your visit in advance!

On open days, a guided tour will be given, which takes you through the endless tunnels of the fortress. This tour will give you a vivid idea of how the soldiers lived there and how terribly wrong things went on that May 10th 1940.

After the interesting tour, you can walk outside on the terrain and visit the bunkers and guns of the fortress.

Moreover, halfway the marked route (3 km), there is a fantastic panorama point over the valley of the river Maas.

Do not underestimate the size of the fortress, you can easily spend half a day here, museum, guided tour through the tunnels and walk outside included!

Address:
Fort Eben-Emael
Rue du Fort 40
BE-4690 Eben-Emael

a bit farther than Gulpen and Meerssen you find Wittem. Its mainattraction is Wittem Castle. This was originally a citadel, with canals. It used to have 7 towers, wheras nowadays it has only 2 towers, and there is a hotel located inside of it. a striking feature is the round chapel , build in 1845, devoted to the Mother of the Everlasting Support.

This village is one of the most beautifull in the near of Maastricht. Its situated at the food of the Gulpener mountain (berg) which is a hill of 150 metres. The village has an old churchtower dating from the 12 th. century. At the Gulpen beerbrewery you can have the wellknown Gulpener Beer. The village has also a tropic swimmingpool.

Meerssen is located nearby Maastricht and its mainattraction is the basilica, a gothic styled one, build in the 9 th century. Its built on the ground where alreday a church existed. Interesting features of the church are: the Teoteca (a nine store decorated sacrament tower), the Barbara altar (with a statue of the patron of the miners) and the windows decorated by Nicolas. The village of Meerssen has no other attracktions, except for a small waterfall 2 kilometeres north.

Nearby Maastricht you find the village of Eijsden, where the castle is the mainattraction. I't is built in 1639 at the place of a farmhouse. the castle is build in maasland renaissance style. There still live aristocrates in the castle. Apart from the castle the village is a protected village. The mediaval Diepstraat with its restaurants and pubs is a good example of it. Near this street you find the smallest church of the Netherlands,

Just by accident we found this beautiful suspension bridge on the southern edge of Maastricth, when we were leaving to continue our trip. Could not find a good angle to photograph it, but the suspension section rises from both ends to a peak in the middle, giving the bridge a very strong attitude.