Discover Riemst: marl, vineyards and trails

Riemst can be discovered through a wide variety of experiences: medieval marl masonry, kilometres of underground passages, wine-making and trails of different kinds. When planning your trip, it is therefore worth first deciding what interests you most. Are you particularly interested in culture and history, would you like to explore on foot, or are you planning a longer tour? The sites and routes offer different starting points and can help you consider the kind of stay you want when looking for a holiday apartment.

Castles and marl caves

The Waterburcht in Millen is a medieval castle built from marl blocks. Its combination of historical period and building material makes it interesting for anyone who wants to read history through architectural forms and materials. The marl caves of Zichen offer another way to explore culture and history: the underground spaces are designed as a gallery, where a labyrinth of kilometres of passages leads through culture, archaeology and history. Above-ground castle architecture and an underground gallery thus represent two clearly distinct themes within Riemst.

The Grotten van Kanne also have a long history of use: they have been used for more than 500 years. A workshop on working with marl is held there. Guided tours can be booked with or without a tasting. Anyone interested in the caves can learn about marl working and also visit the underground site as part of a guided tour.

Wine, tastings and local products

Wijnkasteel Genoels-Elderen is considered Belgium’s oldest wine castle. Its tours include a tasting of your choice. In and around Genoelselderen, 22 hectares of vineyards stretch across the slopes. These details highlight two different aspects of the subject: tours at the wine castle and views of vineyards in the surrounding landscape.

Local products also offer a glimpse into Riemst’s food and drink culture. Cleuren Cuvees makes apple sparkling wine and other alcoholic drinks from apples grown in Vlijtingen. Cleuren Cuvees also ages its wine in the marl caves of Kanne. This brings together agricultural produce and the use of the caves as a place for ageing wine. These products offer a different way to experience the area than a tour or a trail through the landscape.

Walking, cycling and digital routes

Kanne-Groen is a signposted walking trail, 4.9 kilometres long. It starts at the car park on Steenstraat in Kanne. The also signposted Rondje Landbouwdorp walking route is 3.6 kilometres long and passes through a village centre, past square farmsteads, agricultural businesses, expansive fields and blossoming standard fruit orchards. When comparing routes, you can take into account both their stated lengths and their formats: a walking trail with a named starting point, or a walk featuring the village centre and agricultural landscape.

Toer door Riemst is a 42-kilometre circular route. Using an app, you can discover nine video stories along the route via QR codes. Mergellus XL offers a distinctly different type of tour: this 57-kilometre cycle tour passes through Riemst and the border region, including Maastricht and Wallonia. The routes differ in length and stated format; Toer door Riemst also features video stories as a digital element.

When choosing a holiday apartment, you can take these different interests into account: historic buildings and caves, wine and tastings, walking trails or longer tours.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Vroenhoven, Kanne, Lummen, Wellen, Zutendaal, Genk, Hechtel-Eksel, Voeren.

Go to the main travel overview: Limburg.