Discover Beesel: Draaksteken, the Meuse and Holiday Apartments

Draaksteken is an open-air play performed in Beesel every seven years. It is based on the legend of Saint George and the dragon; around 400 local amateur actors take part. In 2012, the play was included in the Dutch National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Those planning a holiday apartment in Beesel can compare travel dates, room categories and cancellation policies on the listing pages. These three fields provide an objective structure for personal selection when planning a holiday, before individual offers are examined more closely.

For further orientation in the area, the pages Reuver and Beesel are also available to you.

Culture

The Beesel Museum’s permanent exhibition features ceramic works inspired by Draaksteken, as well as works from the art collections of the Beesel ceramic companies St. Joris and Loré. The products of the St. Joris Ceramic Industry are known for their characteristic colour range and salt glaze. The St. Joris ceramic studio has enjoyed a good reputation far beyond the country’s borders since the 1930s, while the Loré ceramic studio has done so since the mid-1950s.

The De Grauwe Beer windmill was built as a sawmill in Zaandam in 1614, moved to Beesel in 1891 and put back into operation in 1983. Volunteer millers operate it regularly and guide visitors through the mill. Around 30 works of art in public spaces, including wall reliefs, bronze sculptures and a fountain, can be visited on foot or by bicycle.

Ronkenstein is a designated protected townscape in the municipalities of Beesel and Venlo in the province of Limburg. The Beesel Archaeological Cycle Route presents stories about archaeological finds at three stops. At four further stops, audio stories and additional photographs tell of significant cultural heritage in the municipality of Beesel. Its official starting point is near the market square in Beesel; the route then returns to the market square.

Nature

The Meuse runs along the banks of the municipality of Beesel and shapes the landscape. Beesels Broek and Meerlebroek are nature areas in the municipality of Beesel with rare natural features, including badger setts. A marked hiking trail through Meerlebroek starts at the Muiterdijk and passes Galloway cattle and two peatland areas. The peatland areas in Meerlebroek provide a habitat for flora and fauna.

Beesel has an almost 100-kilometre hiking network with around 125 junctions. Hiking and cycling routes run along the Meuse in Beesel, where visitors can enjoy peace and nature. The Beesels Broek–Bakhei hike combines nature with cultural attractions such as a castle, several chapels and old farmhouses.

The approximately 10-kilometre Grote Sculpturen Route by Rik van Rijswick around Beesel can be explored on foot or by bicycle and starts at the Grote Draak. The cross-border Maas-Swalm-Nette nature reserve stretches from the municipality of Beesel far into Germany.

Getting Around

A ferry runs daily between Kessel in the municipality of Peel en Maas and Reuver in the municipality of Beesel. It is suitable for motor vehicles and light road traffic.

Experiences

Visitors can explore Draaksteken on guided tours with the Beesel village guides, on a children’s walk or with an audio guide. The Historische Groentehof gives the public the opportunity to see, touch, taste and experience old vegetable varieties; it also has a herb garden and many flowers.

Drakenrijk offers a day at the beach and disc golf in the Drakenbos. The De Drakenbijen beekeeping centre in Beesel offers workshops and children’s birthday parties.

For the higher-level travel overview: Limburg.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Venlo, Kerkrade, Vaals, Weert, Schinnen, Margraten.