You will find peace and adventure in these nature reserves in North Limburg
In North Limburg, peace and adventure alternate in nature. In one place you can quietly enjoy the surroundings and the view. In other places you race your mountain bike over challenging slopes. We asked forest ranger Andy Liebrand about the best places in North Limburg's nature to enjoy and recreate. The landscape of North Limburg has many faces.
For example, the Meuse crosses the area, there are sandy areas, forests, hills and even swamps. And plenty of animals live in this area: badgers, beavers, kingfishers, butterflies and even rare crickets, which you will find virtually nowhere else. Also known is the De Maasduinen National Park, which extends to the top of North Limburg.
Enjoying the peace in the Schuitwater
No one knows all these faces of North Limburg as well as forest ranger Andy Liebrand (Staatsbosbeheer). What is his favorite area? "That is a difficult question. It's just what you're looking for. If you really want to enjoy the peace and quiet, then you have to go to the Schuitwater (between Swolgen, Broekhuizervorst and Broekhuizen). A bat bridge takes you through the swamp forest to the middle of the water of one of the old Maasarmen. If you sit on the bench on that bridge, you might just see a beaver swimming by.”
Mountain biking in the Schadijkse Bossen
And where can the adventurers go if they want to experience something in the nature of North Limburg? “De Schadijkse Bossen (Horst aan de Maas) are a great area for adventure. For example, there is one of the most highly regarded mountain bike routes in the Netherlands. A tough route of nineteen kilometers long. Don't let the flat, easy start fool you. The sand dunes are especially difficult to climb!”
Horseback riding in the Bergerbos
For people who like horseback riding in nature, the Bergerbos (northeast of Afferden) is a beautiful destination. “That is a popular area for riders and carriages. In the lastfew years, the equestrian network in North Limburg and the Bergerbos was further expanded and improved.”
Beavers
"If you're sitting on the bench on that bridge, you might just see a beaver swim by."
- Andy Liebrand
Traces of Napoleon in Vlakbroek
For people who come for their rest, but who are also interested in history, there are small unknown natural gems in North Limburg. Vlakbroek (near Koningslust) is such a gem. “We know from that area that Napoleon has been there. He was the first to try to cultivate the swampy area. For the construction of the Noordervaart he had to straighten a seepage stream. The Noordervaart was never completed. Later, several attempts were made to make the land suitable for farmers. Ultimately this did not work. Nature has won over humans here,” says Andy.
Cup of coffee in brasserie in the forest
From sports to walking to 'just' enjoyment: it's all possible in nature in North Limburg. Even for a cup of coffee and a nice piece of pie in between, there is another destination: The Bosbrasserie In de Sluis, on the Bosserheide in Well. In short: The nature reserves in North Limburg are surprisingly versatile!
Nature Reserves in Central and South Limburg
Would you also like to visit other nature reserves in Limburg? We also spoke to foresters in Central Limburg and in South Limburg. They told us which nature reserves in the rest of Limburg are worth visiting.