Holiday apartment in Beek – Nature, routes and culture

Beek is a hub on the Route vol Verwondering and offers visitors seeking relaxation an opportunity to join the route. Its character is shaped by woodland paths, protected landscapes, historic buildings, mill and museum history, as well as various hiking and cycling routes.

Nature and trails

Vrouwenbos is a small woodland on a slope, surrounded by arable land and pastures. It has rich ground vegetation and serves as a refuge for migratory birds. At several points, the Vrouwenbosroute offers views of the surrounding landscape. The Levensloopje also combines nature and history: the route leads from the Levensbomenbos to the old Sint Martinus cemetery in Beek and follows woodland paths through the Kelmonderbos.

The Kelmonderbosroute passes through the green area around Kelmond and Klein-Genhout, along the Keutelbeek and through parks, woods, avenues and orchards. Along the way, you can see old farmsteads and typical half-timbered houses. Landgoed Genbroek covers 18.5 hectares, is a protected nature area and is open for extensive, meaning low-impact, recreation. The Kelmonderveld contains marshy grasslands and slope forests inhabited by badgers and bats. Numerous springs in the Kelmonderbos feed a watercourse that flows towards Beek.

Culture and history

In Spaubeek, the open-air theatre has been designated a municipal monument since July 2023 and is of significant cultural-historical and landscape value. The Spaubeekerbos open-air theatre was built in 1920 on the initiative of Pastor Eduard Beckers and completed in 1922. The Banxhuis, the former building of the Schepenbank of Beek, is a historic monument dating from the 18th century. From 1793 onwards, it served as the meeting place of the Schepenbank of Beek, where justice was administered and mortgages were registered.

The church in Genhout, dedicated to Saint Hubertus, dates from 1937, was built under the direction of Maastricht architect Alphons Boosten and is known as an artists' church because of the involvement of many artists. Huize Genbroek was originally built as a farm around a courtyard in the 17th century and was converted into an imposing country house two centuries later. The Sint-Hubertusmolen was built in 1802 on behalf of farmer Willem Kerckhoffs from Klein Genhout. The Hubertusmolen is a Dutch Rijksmonument. In summer, free guided tours of the Sint-Hubertusmolen are offered on Wednesday afternoons when there is sufficient wind.

The Els Museum Beek is located in the former building of the Jacques Hennekens distillery and is dedicated to the herbal liqueur Els La Vera. Using the historic distillation equipment, volunteers demonstrate small-scale distilling there. After visiting the Els Museum Beek, you can enjoy a small tasting.

Routes and sports

The “Rondje Creativiteit” route follows the former border between the Spanish and States Netherlands, marked by boundary posts. The “Ontmoet de oerboeren van Beek” route leads to several archaeological sites in Beek where remains of Linear Pottery culture settlements were discovered.

Mini Bikepark Beek is freely accessible from sunrise to sunset at your own risk. It particularly enables young people to learn, in a safe environment, the skills required for off-road gravel and mountain-bike riding; the bike park is also suitable for people with disabilities. Sportlandgoed De Haamen offers recreational sports, competitive sports, sports activities for older people and sports for people with disabilities. Numerous Nordic walking, hiking and cycling routes start at Sportlandgoed De Haamen; there is also a network of mountain-bike and horse-riding trails.

Access

Natuurtransferium Beek serves as a starting and finishing point for hiking, mountain-bike and cycling routes and is open to visitors every day. Sportlandgoed De Haamen is located near the A2 and A76 motorways and has numerous free parking spaces. Spaubeek has a railway station.

Other local references: Spaubeek, Beek.

Other destinations in the same regional area: Simpelveld, Echt-Susteren, Kerkrade, Peel En Maas, Schinnen, Roermond.

For the higher-level travel overview: Limburg.