Limburg

Jutting a long finger south, the Limburg 'appendix' was created as a geopolitical quirk in 1839 to link the major historical city of Maastricht to the rest of the Netherlands. The hills and forests of southern Limburg make for excellent hiking and biking and the Drielandenpunt where the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany converge is the country's highest hill, though at just 323m that's not exactly Alpine.

Clinging to the Maas river, the narrow northern 'neck' of Limburg is mostly a no-nonsense place of industry and agriculture. Venlo, the major North Limburg town, has a somewhat bedraggled feel but retains a small historic quarter near the train station, and, like Roermond with its giant mall, is a popular destination for German cross-border shopping sprees. Thorn is one of the province's prettiest mall towns while Valkenburg is a popular rural tourism centre.

Explore Limburg

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St Servaasbasiliek
Built above and around the shrine of St Servaas (Servatius), the first bishop of Maastricht, the basilica presents an architectural pastiche whose…
O
Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek
Dominating an intimate cafe-filled square, this millennium-old basilica-church is a fabulous example of Mosan architecture, made 'extra authentic' through…
T
Thorn
If you're driving between Maastricht and Eindhoven, the very pretty historic village of Thorn (pronounced To-ren) makes a delightful short detour. Once…
M
Maastricht Underground
Maastricht Underground runs spooky, amusing and fascinating tours into sections of the vast tunnel network beneath St-Pietersberg massif. Departures run…
F
Fort St Pieter
Set within a deep-cut dry moat, this hefty five-sided brick fort once formed the city's southern defence and is linked to a network of underground tunnels…
K
Kasteel van Valkenburg
These modest 11th- and 12th-century ruins sit on a small knoll directly above central Valkenburg giving the little town its visual focus, especially when…
C
Cuypershuis
Prolific Roermond-born architect Pierre Cuypers (1827–1921) is best known for building Amsterdam's Centraal Station and Rijksmuseum but he also restored…
N
Netherlands American Cemetery & Memorial
Set amid beautiful lawns, oak trees and azalea bushes 9km southeast of Maastricht, this thought-provokingly vast WWII cemetery has 8301 white gravestones…
Z
Zonneberg Caves
This gigantic network of quarry-tunnels date back centuries but are most intriguing for their occasional charcoal murals and the stories linked to their…

S
St Servaasbasiliek
Built above and around the shrine of St Servaas (Servatius), the first bishop of Maastricht, the basilica presents an architectural pastiche whose…
O
Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek
Dominating an intimate cafe-filled square, this millennium-old basilica-church is a fabulous example of Mosan architecture, made 'extra authentic' through…
T
Thorn
If you're driving between Maastricht and Eindhoven, the very pretty historic village of Thorn (pronounced To-ren) makes a delightful short detour. Once…
M
Maastricht Underground
Maastricht Underground runs spooky, amusing and fascinating tours into sections of the vast tunnel network beneath St-Pietersberg massif. Departures run…
F
Fort St Pieter
Set within a deep-cut dry moat, this hefty five-sided brick fort once formed the city's southern defence and is linked to a network of underground tunnels…
K
Kasteel van Valkenburg
These modest 11th- and 12th-century ruins sit on a small knoll directly above central Valkenburg giving the little town its visual focus, especially when…
C
Cuypershuis
Prolific Roermond-born architect Pierre Cuypers (1827–1921) is best known for building Amsterdam's Centraal Station and Rijksmuseum but he also restored…
N
Netherlands American Cemetery & Memorial
Set amid beautiful lawns, oak trees and azalea bushes 9km southeast of Maastricht, this thought-provokingly vast WWII cemetery has 8301 white gravestones…
Z
Zonneberg Caves
This gigantic network of quarry-tunnels date back centuries but are most intriguing for their occasional charcoal murals and the stories linked to their…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Limburg.

See
St Servaasbasiliek
Built above and around the shrine of St Servaas (Servatius), the first bishop of Maastricht, the basilica presents an architectural pastiche whose…
See
Onze Lieve Vrouwebasiliek
Dominating an intimate cafe-filled square, this millennium-old basilica-church is a fabulous example of Mosan architecture, made 'extra authentic' through…
See
Thorn
If you're driving between Maastricht and Eindhoven, the very pretty historic village of Thorn (pronounced To-ren) makes a delightful short detour. Once…
See
Maastricht Underground
Maastricht Underground runs spooky, amusing and fascinating tours into sections of the vast tunnel network beneath St-Pietersberg massif. Departures run…
See
Fort St Pieter
Set within a deep-cut dry moat, this hefty five-sided brick fort once formed the city's southern defence and is linked to a network of underground tunnels…
See
Kasteel van Valkenburg
These modest 11th- and 12th-century ruins sit on a small knoll directly above central Valkenburg giving the little town its visual focus, especially when…
See
Cuypershuis
Prolific Roermond-born architect Pierre Cuypers (1827–1921) is best known for building Amsterdam's Centraal Station and Rijksmuseum but he also restored…
See
Netherlands American Cemetery & Memorial
Set amid beautiful lawns, oak trees and azalea bushes 9km southeast of Maastricht, this thought-provokingly vast WWII cemetery has 8301 white gravestones…
See
Zonneberg Caves
This gigantic network of quarry-tunnels date back centuries but are most intriguing for their occasional charcoal murals and the stories linked to their…

Guidebooks

Learn more about Limburg

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