Holiday apartment in Heel: Maasplassen, hiking and history
Heel between the Maasplassen, aquatic landscape and local history
Heel combines the Maasplassen with local history from the Middle Ages and Roman times. The Maasplassen form a connected network of lakes created by gravel extraction. A large part of this network is located in the municipality of Maasgouw. Altogether, the Maasplassen cover more than 3,000 hectares. The bodies of water range from large to small lakes and provide the water setting for the landscape around Heel.
The Grindgatenroute: approximately 16.8 kilometers around Heel
The approximately 16.8-kilometer Grindgatenroute runs through the landscape around Heel. It starts and ends at the Cultureel Centrum Don Bosco in Heel. With the same starting and finishing point, the route is designed as a circular trail. Along the route, information panels explain how the Maasplassen were formed. For planning the duration of a hike, the approximately 16.8-kilometer route provides a fixed distance.
De Tuspeel north of Heel
De Tuspeel is located north of Heel. The area covers 28 hectares and is a raised bog area. Deciduous and coniferous forests surround De Tuspeel. Several hiking trails for pedestrians run through the area. The paths lead through the raised bog area and its wooded surroundings.
Diving at Boschmolenplas with Bluegill Divers
At Boschmolenplas, Bluegill Divers offers guided dives with a PADI professional. The dive plan is adapted to the participants’ wishes and diving experience. As an introduction to scuba diving, Bluegill Divers offers the PADI Discover Scuba Diving course. In addition, PADI training from beginner to professional level can be completed in small groups. At the Boschmolenplas dive site, access to the water is permitted only during opening hours. Access is via the entrance to the dive site.
Church tower, Kasteel van Heel and sacred buildings
The church tower of Heel dates from the 12th century and is partly built from Maas pebbles. The southern section of the late-medieval Kasteel van Heel consists of a U-shaped main building. A wing is attached on the southeast side. The St. Stephanuskerk contains two Baroque altarpieces from the 18th century. It also houses a Romanesque baptismal font from the 12th century. The Mariakapel in Heel is a monument. It has a five-sided roof and diagonally positioned buttresses.
Roman traces: Vicus Catualium
Between approximately 40 AD and the 4th century AD, Vicus Catualium was located in Heel, a lively Roman roadside settlement on the important route between Tongeren and Nijmegen. The Roman settlement already existed before the 12th-century church tower and the late-medieval Kasteel van Heel, whose respective construction dates belong to later periods.
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More destinations: Wessem, Thorn, Linne, Maasbracht, Stevensweert, Ohé En Laak
To the overview of the broader travel region: Maasgouw.
