The best traffic-free bike rides around Selfkant

It is good cycling on the paved towpaths along the Meuse.

At the Van Tienhovenmolen, everything revolves around traditional milling. This authentic windmill is still used to process various types of grain into high-quality flour. Our products are available not only at the mill but also for delivery to local shops and businesses in the surrounding area. Due to work on the mill, the shop and webshop will be closed from July 19 to August 13, 2026.

The nature reserves in the cross-border River Park Maasvallei are managed by Natuurmonumenten and Staatsbosbeheer on the Dutch side, and by Limburgs Landschap and Natuurpunt on the Flemish side. To keep the rugged river nature in check and simultaneously introduce variation and dynamism to the landscape, they use large grazers. Without management, the areas would quickly become overgrown and dense with forest. Along the Maas, you almost exclusively see Galloway cattle and Konik horses. As permanent maintenance workers, they roam through the nature reserves. They graze, prune, fertilize, break open the soil with their hooves, and spread seeds via their coats and droppings. This keeps open spaces and allows a varied and rich landscape full of life to develop. Both the Galloways and the Koniks roam the areas year-round. They are strong, robust breeds built to live outdoors year-round without assistance. They are hardy, self-sufficient, and flexible. They adapt their coat, behavior, and digestion according to the conditions of the season. They find their own food and brave wind, rain, snow, and sunshine.

From the bridge, you have a great view of the canal.

A small chapel in the middle of a crossroads

Near Dilsen-Stokkem (Belgium), in the cross-border nature reserve along the Meuse Valley around the De Wissen Visitor Center and the Negenoord-Kerkeweerd nature reserve, you'll regularly encounter Konik horses in the open floodplains and grasslands, along with other large grazers such as Galloway cattle. These horses are not domesticated pets, but are part of a consciously implemented nature management program aimed at keeping the river landscape as naturally dynamic and biodiverse as possible. The Konik horses here live freely in the floodplains and river landscapes year-round. Their presence is functional: grazing, they cut down the grass and maintain open grasslands. In places where cattle primarily keep shrubs and young trees short, the horses also ensure that herbs, flowers, and short grass are preserved. This combination allows these large grazers to create a diverse patchwork of open areas, coarse grasses, herb-rich thickets, and vegetated edges—exactly what many plant and animal species need to thrive. In the area around Stokkem, you often hear from local guides like the MaasVerkenner that you'll almost always see these horses during a walk, especially on the paths around the old Meuse branches and small lakes of Negenoord. These grazers are an important part of the river landscape experience, and they naturally regulate grazing management, allowing the landscape to develop into a rich ecosystem with countless bird species, insects, and plants that are rare elsewhere in Limburg. Hikers and nature lovers can often observe the Konik horses from the trails around De Wissen and the breeding banks of the Meuse. Because they are wild animals, it is advised to always keep a distance, not feed them, and not disturb their natural behavior. If you're lucky, you might see them grazing peacefully in the morning light or among colorful, herbaceous meadows—an impressive example of how nature management and ecology go hand in hand in this part of the Meuse Valley.

Hidden in the gentle rolling hills of South Limburg lies the Mariakapel of Kelmond, a small but meaningful chapel that has been a place of peace, faith, and reflection for generations for residents and passers-by alike. Surrounded by greenery, country lanes, and the open landscape, this place exudes a modest simplicity that perfectly suits its spiritual function. The chapel was erected as an expression of popular devotion, a tradition deeply rooted in Limburg. Such Marian chapels often arose out of gratitude, for protection, or as a pilgrimage site for those seeking support in difficult times. This chapel too grew into a place of silence where one lights a candle, prays, or simply comes to oneself. Architecturally, the chapel is modest but characterful: a classic brick building with a gable roof, a niche with a statue of Mary, and often accompanied by a small bench or floral offering. Inside, a serene silence prevails, broken only by the whisper of the wind or the singing of birds outside. The chapel's location makes it extra special. From here, you look out over rolling fields and orchards, while walking and cycling routes regularly visit this spot as a resting point. The contrast between the open landscape and the seclusion of the chapel enhances the feeling of tranquility. The Mariakapel of Kelmond is not a grand monument, but that is precisely what makes it so powerful: a modest beacon of silence, a place where landscape and faith meet, and where time seems to stand still for a moment. 🌿🕯️

A beautiful castle to visit.