Holiday apartment in Brunssum between heathland, nature and mining history

Brunssum combines the distinctive heathland landscape of Brunssummerheide with wetlands, traces of mining and routes that connect nature and culture. The Brunssummerheide Natura 2000 site protects and develops a distinctive heathland landscape, raised bog, wet and dry pools, and valuable woodland. The red hiking route “Brunssummerheide over hills and heathland” is 5.6 kilometres long and leads through coniferous forest and the hilly heathland of Brunssummerheide.

Nature

The Hangvennen are among the area’s distinctive landscapes. They form a wetland measuring 400 metres in length and 150 metres in width, which was restored in 2007. A 200-metre-long footbridge gives visitors access to the Hangvennen, allowing hikers to enter the area without getting their feet wet. Rare orchids and heathland vegetation, as well as protected species such as the common frog, great crested newt and large blue butterfly, can be found in the Hangvennen.

The Vijverpark also combines landscape with the history of the region. The body of water in the Vijverpark was created by lignite mining; the surrounding park was laid out and expanded on behalf of the Staatsmijnen. The historic wall of the Staatsmijn Emma has been preserved in Emmapark. The paths, designed like railway tracks, refer to the mining history through words in the Limburg dialect.

Routes

The 17.1-kilometre Brunssum Archaeological Cycling Route follows the cycle junction network and passes through various locations in the municipality of Brunssum. It leads to three sites on the Archeo Route Limburg and uses audio stories to provide information about various heritage sites. The route can be started at Emmapark, at the corner of Koolweg/Emmaweg; the starting point is at junction 73. Emmapark is also situated on the 35-kilometre Parkstad Route, a hiking and cycling route connecting various places of interest in Parkstad Limburg.

Another historical perspective is offered by the “Vrijheid en Hoop Brunssum” hiking route. It follows hiking junctions past locations in Brunssum that commemorate the Second World War and the municipality’s turbulent wartime history.

Culture and history

The Openluchttheater Brunssum was created in 1951 as part of the Vijverpark in the heart of Brunssum and designed by landscape architect John Bergmans. In 2012, the municipality of Brunssum resumed organising the annual programme at the Openluchttheater Brunssum. The MijnVerleden exhibition preserves memories of the Staatsmijn in Brunssum and displays photographs and materials about coal mining at the Staatsmijnen Hendrik and Emma.

The Clemensdomein is home to four Rijksmonumenten, including the centuries-old Clemenskerkje, the Lourdes grotto and an old monastery wall. Visitors can discover the Clemensdomein through a 360-degree tour and an audio tour, which can be started using QR codes on the sign by the church. Concerts, readings and conferences take place in the Clemensdomein.

Walks and discoveries

The two-kilometre Kinderkunstroute is a family walk through the centre of Brunssum that introduces children to local history in a playful way. It starts and ends at Lindeplein and includes nine stations with questions suitable for children, as well as additional background information for accompanying adults. The Kunstbeeldenroute was created as Brunssum’s first sculpture route. It is an approximately one-and-a-half-hour walk in and around the centre of Brunssum.

The Mind Walk Brunssum is a short walk through Emmapark accompanied by four audio meditations, and is 1.3 kilometres long. The QR codes in Emmapark offer four Mind Walk meditation themes: mindful walking, body scan, sensory awareness and developing a sense of happiness. Another type of tour is the BloteVoetenWandeling. It leads through a maze, past mud puddles and over obstacle courses.

Gardens and local insights

The IVN-Heemtuin “In de Struiken” in Brunssum can be visited free of charge. It includes two large ponds, a marsh pond and an ornamental pond. During the beekeeping days at the IVN-Heemtuin “In de Struiken”, visitors learn about the life of bees and the production of honey and wax; they can also extract honey themselves and roll candles.

Continue navigating

For further local navigation: Brunssum.

Other places at the same level: Kerkrade, Voerendaal, Valkenburg Aan De Geul, Simpelveld, Schinnen, Onderbanken, Roermond.

For the higher-level travel overview: Limburg.