The best dog-friendly hikes and walks in Grensmaas

Striking modern building...

Is NO LONGER emptied! No more money for NATURE. Volunteers from IVN Elsloo built a wooden walkway near the Kromme Dijk in the first week of January '26. This makes the popular hiking trail along the Hemelbeek accessible again. This is a temporary solution pending definitive measures by Staatsbosbeheer, the owner of this forest area. They will also be consulting with the municipality of Stein and IVN again soon. Unfortunately, Waterschap Limburg is not contributing to a solution because they no longer empty the sand trap, causing the area to suffer not only from waterlogging but also to fill up with sand and silt.

You can look down from various places, towards Geulle aan de Maas (with its striking church) which lies between the Maas and the Julianakanaal, and of course much further. But the Penderjansknub and Snijdersberg are the "place to be" for the best views now. The view from Snijdersberg and Penderjansknub was apparently much freer according to a book with old postcards, according to an article about it on the website of the local history association Gäöl. So people from the village could see the different parts: from top to bottom but of course also vice versa! The view over Penderjansknub was created after discussions with Staatsbosbeheer by the village community. Because without tree felling on the slope, there is of course no view anymore – and then your experience of the village's past is completely gone! A little further than Penderjansknub, at the picnic spot of Snijdersberg, there is a viewpoint. You have to walk there, to the bench furthest from the road. Did you know: the Penderjansknup (apparently with a "p") is or was the carnival award of De Bokkerieers, the local carnival association. More at http://geulle.com/wordpress/?page_id=163

In 1848 the chapel was built here, using the building materials that were left over from the construction of the Saint Augustine Church in Elsloo. ’t Bluuske is the name for the chapel of Catsop. Bluuske is a contraction of belhuuske (little bell house). The chapel had a dual function. It was not only a chapel, but also the carrier of the alarm bell of Catsop. In case of fire and unrest, the bell was rung, and then all able-bodied men had to gather (there were high fines for not showing up). The location of the chapel is connected to the legend of Winand van Meers. The wall painting tells the legend of Winandus van Elsloo. A group of pilgrims, including Winandus, makes a journey to the Holy Land. After the visit, his companions begin their return journey on Easter Day. Winandus found this day too honorable and left a day later. A passing rider saw this hasty pilgrim and took him along on his horse. Winandus said that he wanted to catch up with his former companions. A few hours later, Winandus was, much to his surprise, already home again. He did not understand what had happened, but the rider said: "You have given Our Lord the honor that is due to Him".

This beautiful spot is called Penderjansknub. It is located in the beautiful nature reserve the Bunderbos, known for its wooden stairs, steep slopes, and beautiful views.

In addition to pedestrian traffic, the place also serves as a passage for the fast-flowing Hemelbeek. The pedestrian path is narrow and dark, especially if you encounter oncoming traffic, it is best to be careful not to step off the path.

This sand trap catches the sand and silt carried by the fast-flowing water. It prevents the stream from silting up and causing flooding.

The majority of shipping traffic going to Belgium and France via the Meuse flows through the Juliana Canal. The canal begins north of Maastricht at the Borgharen weir as a branch of the Meuse, and ends approximately 36 km further at Maasbracht, where the water flows back into the Meuse. The canal follows the course of the Meuse, which flows slightly west of the canal and forms the border with Belgium there (the "Grensmaas"). To the east of the canal runs the A2 motorway. The canal is named after Princess Juliana. On October 22, 1925, the then 16-year-old princess came to Limmel to symbolically break ground. At Elsloo, the Scharberg had to be dug through in 1929. During these works, a soil layer rich in shark teeth from the Miocene was exposed.