The romantic little town of Valkenburg lies in the picturesque Geul valley, in the Limburg uplands, below the only hilltop castle in the Netherlands. It has long been a very popular holiday resort. A hundred years ago its main tourist attractions were its caves: it now also attracts visitors with its spa facilities in the futuristic Thermae 2000, one of the largest spa establishment in the Netherlands after Nieuweschans in Groningen. Valkenburg also has the country's oldest functioning railroad station (1853).
Thermae 2000 features: extensive bathing facilities, with several whirlpools; Lotus Bath in a beautiful botanical garden, with luxuriant tropical plants; sports facilities, yoga and meditation cells.
On the south side of Valkenburg rises the Dwingelrots (Castle Rock), which is crowned by the ruined castle of the lords of Valkenburg. The castle was founded in the 12th century; the tower and the fortified communicating passages, some of them hewn from the rock, are later. After several sieges, and several rebuildings, the ruined castle was abandoned in 1672. There was a secret passage from the castle to the caves hewn from the rock below.
The local marlstone was already being used as a building material in Roman times. The underground quarrying of the stone has left a series of caves - the Gemeentegrot (Municipal Cave), which was used as a bomb shelter during the Second World War; the Fluweelen Caves; and the Panorama Cave, with an exhibition illustrating the origins and development of man.
The Kasteel Den Halder in Valkenburg now houses the Limburg VVV office which produces a brochure on the "Euregio Maas-Rijn" holiday region (the Belgium and Dutch provinces of Limburg, the Belgian province of Liège and the area round Aachen in Germany), with information about recreation and leisure facilities, art, culture and nature.
St Nicolaaskerk is a Late Gothic pseudo-basilica (14th C.), with a nave which was enlarged in 1891 and transepts and a choir which were lengthened in 1904. Its most notable feature is a triptych with scenes from the life of St Remigius.
The Steenkolenmijn, a model coal mine at Daalhemerweg 31, illustrates the technology of mining in the South Limburg coal field with a display of authentic mining equipment.
Address: Model Steenkolenmijn, Daalhemerweg 31, Valkenburg, Limburg , Netherlands
Hours:
April 3 to October 31: 10am-5pm
Tips: Tours on the hour.
Guides: Interpretive sessions sometimes available.
Of the old 14th century fortifications there remain two town gates, the Grendelpoort and the Berkelpoort, and some lengths of wall on the west side of Valkenburg.
Valkenburg has a number of handsome old houses, such as Huis Den Halder (17th C.), Huis Ost, Huis Genhoes (15th-16th C.) and the Spaanse Leenhof, now occupied by the tourist information office.
Read More
Read Less
Castle Rock, Valkenburg
Castle Rock, Valkenburg
