Eijsden-Margraten: Holiday apartment between the Meuse, culture and rolling hills

Eijsden-Margraten combines impressive landscapes with castles, museums, historic trails and vibrant regional traditions. Near Eijsden, the Meuse flows into the Netherlands. The landscape includes the deeply incised Meuse valley, the Plateau van Margraten and the orchards around Eijsden and Mesch. The Eijsder Beemden is a nature reserve where Galloway cattle and Konik horses graze.

Landscape

Several prehistoric flint mines are located in the Savelsbos. The woodland is freely accessible to visitors and is home to the largest badger population in the Netherlands. A special combination of landscape and prehistory is offered by the hiking route Langs vuursteen in het Savelsbos: it is approximately 5 kilometres long and leads from the deeply incised Meuse valley up to the plateau, which lies almost 100 metres higher.

Another route leads across the Plateau van Margraten. The 7.6-kilometre hiking route Rondom het Plateau van Margraten passes farms, meadows and orchards and offers views of the hills of South Limburg from the Plateau van Margraten. The Bloesemfietsroute Eijsden-Margraten also takes in the traditional cultural landscape. It passes the standard-tree orchards around Eijsden, Mesch and Sint Geertruid and showcases the traditional form of fruit cultivation.

The hiking route Door het decor van Dagboek van een Herdershond passes filming locations from the television series in and around Eijsden. The Ursulinenconvent at Breusterstraat 27 in Eijsden is part of this route; parking is available at the Treffersteeg.

Culture and history

Kasteel Eijsden is a manor house with a castle farmstead south of Eijsden on the River Meuse. It was built in the style of Meuse Renaissance. The park at Kasteel Eijsden, laid out around 1900, is freely accessible. The Cultuurroute Eijsden also starts at the railway station and passes the Ursulinenklooster, the Bat and Kasteel Eijsden.

The historic village circular walk in Eijsden leads through the historic town centre, past the former Ursuline convent, now a family museum, and past Kasteel Eijsden, which dates from 1636. At Museum Het Ursulinenconvent, visitors can learn more about family history, genealogy, family culture and family traditions. The collections include, among other things, African tribal art, santons from Provence, objects from dynastic Europe, a 19th-century pharmacy, the history of the Ursuline order and the memory of Jewish Limburg.

The Amerikaanse Begraafplaats is located in Margraten. More than 8,000 American soldiers are buried there; it is also the only American cemetery in the Netherlands. Free activities and services are offered under the guidance of professional guides; guided tours without a guide and an activity booklet for children and families are also available. During Open Monumentendag, visitors can visit a monument in Eijsden-Margraten free of charge.

The Kasteel-Mheer complex consists of a four-winged castle and a U-shaped lower courtyard. Kasteel Mheer has medieval origins and was mentioned in 1314 as a “stone house”. In the 18th century, Eijsden itself was a very important port town with a ferry across the Meuse.

Exploring by bicycle

The 46.8-kilometre cycling route Langs Kunst en Cultuur in Eijsden-Margraten introduces local traditions such as shooting clubs and the traditional “cramignon” dance. The route can be followed via the cycle node network. It starts at the NS railway station in Eijsden, where parking is also available.

The cycling route Bevrijding van het Heuvelland explores historic traces of the Second World War. It passes various Second World War sights in the rolling hills of South Limburg, including the Old Hickory Monument and a listening stone next to the observation tower on the Mescherhei.

Regional specialities

Stassen Kaas offers tastings featuring at least three different types of cheese as well as local syrup, chutney, honey, jam and bread. Visitors can gain an insight into the cheese dairy and learn more about traditional cheesemaking.

Other places: Margraten, Mesch, Noorbeek, Eijsden, Bemelen, Eckelrade and Gronsveld.

To the overview of the higher-level destination: Limburg.

More destinations

More places within the same destination:

Sittard-Geleen.