Limburgse Maas tour out of Tongeren via Valkenburg and Thorn
This route was brought to you by:
RouteXpert Guy Heyns - Adv. RouteXpert
Last edit: 10-12-2024
Route Summary The route departs near Tongeren, the oldest city in Belgium. It brings you a surprising and hilly curves that has no equal in the region. The route also passes a number of very beautiful and interesting areas, cities and villages that are more than worth a visit. The Voerstreek, the Limburg hills, Valkenburg, De Maasvallei, Thorn, the 'white' town, the controversial Monastery of Opgrimbie and the Grand Commandery of Alden Biesen are all on the program, as are excellent asphalt that slides under your wheels.
For those who also thought that badges do not exist in Flanders and the Netherlands, this route repeatedly proves the opposite.
But not only the quality of the route, the views, the region or the roads are worth mentioning. The extensive choice of break points, terraces, gastronomy and tourism also make this route a winner.
It is up to you to fully enjoy it.
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Animation
Verdict
Duration
6h 4m
Mode of travel
Car or motorcycle
Distance
225.23 km
Countries
RouteXpert Review The starting point is at 'De Pauze' near Tongeren, the oldest city in Belgium.
The facilities of the Pauze (parking, drinks, food, toilet) are particularly well suited for meeting each other as a group. Near Tongeren and also the motorway, so that arrival and departure can be easily organized.
Immediately after departure you will find a petrol station on rp 2. Then you dive into the Limburg agricultural landscape in the direction of the Walloon border, where the curves really begin.
If you wish, you can free up time to visit the Fort of Eben-Emael at route point 6. More information can be found in the attached link, but the story of this - completely built into the mountain - fortress is at least remarkable. The cannons of the Fort have fired just one shot and then as a test. And the Germans only needed one bomb to destroy the entire fort. Bizarre ... and a blot on the Belgian military, moreover ...
After this point, the first two pins will appear. Just before the second, when you leave the high plateau, you will find a beautiful vantage point at route point 7. Many people stop here to enjoy the view, but the parking options are rather limited. You can only park along the edge of the road. However, if you drive in a duo or in a limited group, a short break is certainly possible. In clear weather, you can look at three countries at the same time and get an impression of the economic and military importance of the region.
After the pins you drive over the suspension bridge (enjoy the architecture for a moment) to the zone between the Albert Canal and the 'Maas'. These two lifelines have made a flourishing regional economy possible, also due to the presence of the so-called 'Marl', a very soft limestone with excellent building properties. Many houses in the region are therefore built from this marl stone, quarried in the region itself. Therefore, be careful that you do not suddenly disappear into a hole. Because of the 'mining' of the marlstone, large parts of the region are tunnelled and occasionally a tunnel collapses ...
Two highly recommended 'marl' highlights can be found on this route: the previously mentioned fortress of Eben-Emael and the village of Valkenburg, which is mentioned a little further.
Before arriving in Valkenburg, however, the route takes you through the Belgian Voer region and the Limburg hills. The particularly beautiful Voer region has long been the scene of the battle for the Flemish-Walloon antagonism, a political issue in Belgium. After all, the Voer region is officially Flemish territory, but is completely surrounded by Wallonia. And when Walloon political groups wanted to seize power, the Flemish feeling of struggle erupted. To this day, the Voer is and remains Flemish territory, but the discussion is not over yet.
No matter how beautiful the region is, you should be aware that this Walloon-Flemish contrast is still breeding under the skin. So be very careful if you should broach the subject if you want to enjoy a coffee in café 'De Berwien' just after RP 10. After all, you never know whether you will bump into a 'Flamigant' or a 'Wallon' ... And if you give the 'wrong' opinion to the 'wrong' person, it could just be that you will find it for the rest of the ride with one eye less ... And that would be a real shame on this ride ...
After 'De Berwien' you flirt a number of times with the Belgian-Dutch border. Before finally entering the Netherlands via RP16, you will find the Beusdael castle between RP15 and RP16. The route offers you a beautiful approach to this enchanting castle when you leave the Teuvenerberg Forest Reserve. As you descend the hill, you can take a look several times at this very beautiful castle that - even today - is completely in private hands.
Just after route point 17, the approach is made to the famous loop through the Vijlenerbos. Breathtakingly beautiful. No other words for…. A beautiful qualitative road through a majestic forest in which even a number of pins and a so-called 'hollow' road (RP19) have been incorporated.
Should you see the opportunity, try driving the loop - or even the entire route - on a working day. During the weekend, and certainly in good weather - not only the entire region, but in particular also the Vijlenerbos, is the meeting point for everyone with walking shoes and / or a bicycle. Many tourists know this forest and it is often busy. But don't let this stop you from driving the loop (carefully) anyway. It is therefore best not to cut the loop and you will notice why when you ride it.
Because of the busyness on the loop itself, after the loop, we marked the first three options for a break on the route (RP's 20, 21 and 22). However, there are more to be found in the immediate vicinity. Feel free to stop where there is still a nice spot to be found.
On the way to Valkenburg, the route pampers you even more via the winding and hilly course. You will notice it automatically by the traffic when you approach Valkenburg.
Valkenburg (RP 30) is a fairly large and pleasant city to stretch your legs. Many establishments invite you to take a seat before or after the pleasant marl caves or castle visit, and both are highly recommended. 'Mergelrijk' and the 'Velvet Cave' are just two examples, but the possibilities are endless. For example, the adventurers can even go for a round of 'cave biking' while the creative people attend a workshop in marl studio Aarts. The gourmets will find what they are looking for in the beautiful café on top of the mountain where nice views are their share, assuming of course that the ride had not spoiled them enough in this regard. As a small side note, it should be noted that you should record the engine well in Valkenburg. A forewarned man ...
After Valkenburg the route takes you in the direction of the Maas valley. Where you were allowed to put on a number of pins at the beginning of the route before arriving there, it is no different here. The curves (RP 34) appear very unexpectedly, but are no less pleasant. You will then be 'squeezed' again between the Maas and the Juliana Canal, crossing some very pleasant small villages. Geule aan de Maas, Meers, Berg aan de Maas, Obbicht, Grevenbicht, are just a few nice examples. Via the Maasplassen, vast artificial lakes created by gravel extraction, we reach Thorn, a famous Dutch village.
Thorn was once a mini-kingdom ruled only by women. An abbey and monastery was founded that was not populated by nuns, but by the so-called 'stift' ladies. After all, the Abbey of Thorn was a so-called 'pen', a monastic community in which the rules were interpreted liberally. Rich, noble ladies entered the order pending a marriage with a good party….
The typical white character of the village was created when the French introduced house tax, based on the size of the windows. Immediately, everyone installed smaller windows and the houses were all painted white to hide the masonry. The unique character of the 'white' village acts as a magnet for many artists and tourists who find a warm welcome in Thorn.
After a visit to Thorn, we slowly say goodbye to the Maasplassen and drive towards Maaseik & Stokkem. If desired, a short break can be inserted on the nice market square of Eisden, where there is more than enough parking space, an excellent beer café for the duos and a typical Belgian snack for the hungry.
After crossing the suburbs of Maasmechelen you will reach Opgrimbie where the controversial 'Royal' monastery of Opgrimbie (dis) adorns the forests. After all, when King Baudouin died, he had announced that a monastery had to be built on the Royal domain, in the middle of the 'Hoge Kempen' nature reserve. The necessary building permits were applied for, but never obtained. Despite this, the monastery was built with ministerial permission, but to this day the monastery is disputed and has a bad reputation among many nature lovers.
After route point 63, cross the Albert Canal again and drive in the direction of Bilzen. Just after this town we meander past the Grand Commandery of Alden Biezen, a beautiful castle that has been completely restored and is open to the public and events.
After a short photo stop, you can then drive through the lovely Limburg landscape back to 'De Pauze', where you started the route.
This route deserves the full 5 star rating. Not only because of the road quality, the beautiful views, beautiful small villages and the extensive views, but also because of the surprising elements such as the suddenly appearing pins, the existing 'mountains' in perhaps the flattest country in the world and the historian & natural elements that pop up here and there in the entire story while you traverse the Limburg hills and the Meuse valley. Just like us, you will be pleasantly surprised and a return is certainly not excluded.
Enjoy!
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Changes may nevertheless have occurred due to changed circumstances, road diversions or seasonal closures. We therefore recommend checking each route before use.
Preferably use the route track in your navigation system. More information about the use of MyRoute-app can be found on the website under 'Community' or 'Academy'.
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Wallonia
About this region
The Walloon Region (French: Région wallonne [ʁeʒjɔ̃ walɔn]; German: Wallonische Region; Dutch: Waals gewest), usually simply referred to as Wallonia (; French: Wallonie [walɔni]; Walloon: Waloneye; German: Wallonien [vaˈloːni̯ən] (listen) or Wallonie [valoˈniː]; Dutch: Wallonië [ʋɑˈloːnijə] (listen)), is one of the three Regions of Belgium—alongside the Flemish Region and the Brussels-Capital Region.Covering the southern portion of the country, Wallonia is primarily French-speaking, and accounts for 55% of Belgium's territory, but only a third of its population. The Walloon Region was not merged with the French Community of Belgium, which is the political entity responsible for matters related mainly to culture and education, because the French Community of Belgium encompasses both Wallonia and the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region.
There is a German-speaking minority in eastern Wallonia, resulting from the annexation of three cantons previously part of the German Empire at the conclusion of World War I. This community represents less than 1% of the Belgian population. It forms the German-speaking Community of Belgium, which has its own government and parliament for culture-related issues.
During the industrial revolution, Wallonia was second only to the United Kingdom in industrialization, capitalizing on its extensive deposits of coal and iron. This brought the region wealth, and from the beginning of the 19th to the middle of the 20th century, Wallonia was the more prosperous half of Belgium. Since World War II, the importance of heavy industry has greatly diminished, and the Flemish Region has exceeded Wallonia in wealth as Wallonia has declined economically. Wallonia now suffers from high unemployment and has a significantly lower GDP per capita than Flanders. The economic inequalities and linguistic divide between the two are major sources of political conflicts in Belgium and a major factor in Flemish separatism.
The capital of Wallonia is Namur, and the most populous city is Charleroi. Most of Wallonia's major cities and two-thirds of its population lie along the east-west aligned Sambre and Meuse valley, the former industrial backbone of Belgium. To the north of this valley, Wallonia lies on the Central Belgian Plateau, which, like Flanders, is a relatively flat and agriculturally fertile area. The south and southeast of Wallonia is made up of the Ardennes, an expanse of forested highland that is less densely populated.
Wallonia borders Flanders and the Netherlands (the province of Limburg) in the north, France (Grand Est and Hauts-de-France) to the south and west, and Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate) and Luxembourg (Capellen, Clervaux, Esch-sur-Alzette, Redange and Wiltz) to the east. Wallonia has been a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie since 1980.
Read more on Wikipedia
There is a German-speaking minority in eastern Wallonia, resulting from the annexation of three cantons previously part of the German Empire at the conclusion of World War I. This community represents less than 1% of the Belgian population. It forms the German-speaking Community of Belgium, which has its own government and parliament for culture-related issues.
During the industrial revolution, Wallonia was second only to the United Kingdom in industrialization, capitalizing on its extensive deposits of coal and iron. This brought the region wealth, and from the beginning of the 19th to the middle of the 20th century, Wallonia was the more prosperous half of Belgium. Since World War II, the importance of heavy industry has greatly diminished, and the Flemish Region has exceeded Wallonia in wealth as Wallonia has declined economically. Wallonia now suffers from high unemployment and has a significantly lower GDP per capita than Flanders. The economic inequalities and linguistic divide between the two are major sources of political conflicts in Belgium and a major factor in Flemish separatism.
The capital of Wallonia is Namur, and the most populous city is Charleroi. Most of Wallonia's major cities and two-thirds of its population lie along the east-west aligned Sambre and Meuse valley, the former industrial backbone of Belgium. To the north of this valley, Wallonia lies on the Central Belgian Plateau, which, like Flanders, is a relatively flat and agriculturally fertile area. The south and southeast of Wallonia is made up of the Ardennes, an expanse of forested highland that is less densely populated.
Wallonia borders Flanders and the Netherlands (the province of Limburg) in the north, France (Grand Est and Hauts-de-France) to the south and west, and Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate) and Luxembourg (Capellen, Clervaux, Esch-sur-Alzette, Redange and Wiltz) to the east. Wallonia has been a member of the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie since 1980.
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Route Collections in this region The 10 most beautiful car and motorcycle routes in Limburg
Limburg, who thinks of Limburg, thinks of flan, coal mines, marl and the hill country. The coal mines have been closed for almost 40 years, the last load of coal was brought up from the Oranje-Nassau coal mine in Heerlen on 31 December and, as they say, South Limburg was transformed from Black to Green and unfortunately there is still little left. view of this period.
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All routes in this collection have been checked and made equal for TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation by a MyRoute-app RouteXpert.
If you think, I have a very nice route that should certainly not be missing from this collection, send it to:
email: routeexpert@myrouteapp.com
Subject: New Route for the Top 10 collection Province of Limburg composed by Hans van de Ven.
The route will then be reviewed and then added to the Top 10.
To make the Top 10 also the Top 10, 1 route will have to disappear from the Top 10, you can indicate this when submitting the new route.
Have fun with this collection and while driving one of these routes. Enjoy all the beauty that the Netherlands and in particular the province of Limburg has to offer. Click on “View route” to read the review of the chosen route.
I would like to hear your findings about the route(s).
But not only pie, marl and coal in Limburg, but also a very beautiful province to tour by car or motorcycle and enjoy all the beauty that the province of Limburg has to offer. For this, the MyRoute app RouteXpert has put together a Top 10 of Car and Motorcycle routes for you.
All routes in this collection have been checked and made equal for TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation by a MyRoute-app RouteXpert.
If you think, I have a very nice route that should certainly not be missing from this collection, send it to:
email: routeexpert@myrouteapp.com
Subject: New Route for the Top 10 collection Province of Limburg composed by Hans van de Ven.
The route will then be reviewed and then added to the Top 10.
To make the Top 10 also the Top 10, 1 route will have to disappear from the Top 10, you can indicate this when submitting the new route.
Have fun with this collection and while driving one of these routes. Enjoy all the beauty that the Netherlands and in particular the province of Limburg has to offer. Click on “View route” to read the review of the chosen route.
I would like to hear your findings about the route(s).
View Route Collection
Top 5 Car and Motorcycle Routes in the Eifel
The Eifel is the eastern part of the medium plateau Eifel-Ardennes. It is located north of the Moselle and west of the Rhine. The largest part is in Germany, a small part is in Belgium, in the East Cantons. The German part of Eifel is located in the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. The highest point is the Hohe Acht with 747 meters.
Several chains can be distinguished in the Eifel:
The northernmost part is called the Nordeifel, which in Belgium connects to the High Fens;
To the east of this is the Ahrgebirge, this part is located north of the Ahr in the Ahrweiler district;
South of the Ahr is the Hohe Eifel (or Hocheifel), of which the Hohe Acht (747 m) is the highest point, and also the highest point in the entire Eifel region;
To the west, near the Belgian border, the hills are known as Schneifel, part of the wider Snow Eifel area with peaks reaching up to 698 metres;
South and east of the Hohe Eifel is the Volcano-Eifel, a volcanic area with many crater lakes (Maare).
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In the south, the Eifel ends in the Voreifel.
In the north of the Eifel there are some large reservoirs. The largest of these is the reservoir in the Roer that was created by the construction of the Roerdal dam.
The Nürburgring is also located in the Eifel, a well-known car circuit for Formula 1 races, among other things. Since 2004, part of the north of the Eifel has become the Eifel National Park. This National Park falls entirely within the German-Belgian nature park High Fens-Eifel. Another part of the Eifel falls within the South Eifel Nature Park.
Well-known throughout the Netherlands and Belgium by car and motorcyclists, so reason enough for the MyRoute app RouteXpert to compile a Top 5 of Car and Motorbike routes for you.
All routes in this collection have been checked and made equal for TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation by a MyRoute-app RouteXpert.
If you think, I have a very nice route that should certainly not be missing from this collection, send it to:
email: routeexpert@myrouteapp.com
Subject: New Route for the Top 5 collection Eifel composed by Hans van de Ven.
The route will then be reviewed and then added to the Top 5. To make the Top 5 also the Top 5, 1 route will have to disappear from the Top 5, you can indicate this when submitting the new route.
Have fun with this collection and while driving one of these routes. Enjoy all the beauty that the Eifel has to offer. Click on “View route” to read the review of the chosen route.
I would like to hear your findings about the route(s).
Several chains can be distinguished in the Eifel:
The northernmost part is called the Nordeifel, which in Belgium connects to the High Fens;
To the east of this is the Ahrgebirge, this part is located north of the Ahr in the Ahrweiler district;
South of the Ahr is the Hohe Eifel (or Hocheifel), of which the Hohe Acht (747 m) is the highest point, and also the highest point in the entire Eifel region;
To the west, near the Belgian border, the hills are known as Schneifel, part of the wider Snow Eifel area with peaks reaching up to 698 metres;
South and east of the Hohe Eifel is the Volcano-Eifel, a volcanic area with many crater lakes (Maare).
The southern part of the Eifel is less high. The area is bisected by streams and rivers running southwards. These streams flow into the Moselle. The largest of these rivers is the Kyll; the hills around this river are known as the Kyllwald;
In the south, the Eifel ends in the Voreifel.
In the north of the Eifel there are some large reservoirs. The largest of these is the reservoir in the Roer that was created by the construction of the Roerdal dam.
The Nürburgring is also located in the Eifel, a well-known car circuit for Formula 1 races, among other things. Since 2004, part of the north of the Eifel has become the Eifel National Park. This National Park falls entirely within the German-Belgian nature park High Fens-Eifel. Another part of the Eifel falls within the South Eifel Nature Park.
Well-known throughout the Netherlands and Belgium by car and motorcyclists, so reason enough for the MyRoute app RouteXpert to compile a Top 5 of Car and Motorbike routes for you.
All routes in this collection have been checked and made equal for TomTom, Garmin and MyRoute-app Navigation by a MyRoute-app RouteXpert.
If you think, I have a very nice route that should certainly not be missing from this collection, send it to:
email: routeexpert@myrouteapp.com
Subject: New Route for the Top 5 collection Eifel composed by Hans van de Ven.
The route will then be reviewed and then added to the Top 5. To make the Top 5 also the Top 5, 1 route will have to disappear from the Top 5, you can indicate this when submitting the new route.
Have fun with this collection and while driving one of these routes. Enjoy all the beauty that the Eifel has to offer. Click on “View route” to read the review of the chosen route.
I would like to hear your findings about the route(s).
View Route Collection