Welcome to Zuid-Limburg!

With its mysterious underground setting, Valkenburg aan de Geul has been a major tourist attraction for a long time. The railway station was built in 1853 on a line connecting the two cities of Maastricht and Aachen (D). In those days, the well-to-do were able to discover the charming little town of Valkenburg by railway, the line having been built at a cost of one million Dutch guilders. As a result it gained the name Miljoenenlijn. From the top of the picturesque castle, it is possible to survey the ruins of this the fortified town, as if they fit into the palm of your hand, inviting you to come and see it for yourself.
There is much to see and do in and around Valkenburg: there are two theme parks, a cable car and toboggan run, underground marlstone caverns and museums, the highest castle ruins in the Netherlands, spa and wellness facilities, the Holland Casino, two underground and aboveground cycling tours, stylish restaurants, a thriving nightlife, chateaux, green parks and extensive nature reserves.

This undulating landscape hides many dreamy villages and towns set against a backdrop of green meadows and colourful orchards. The Geul and Gulp rivers that ripple sedately through the region helped form this landscape many centuries ago. In 2005 the region was voted as one of the most scenic in the Netherlands and was awarded with the title of 5-star landscape.
The surroundings provide an ideal base for walking and cycling enthusiasts. The region is home to vineyards, breweries, a climbing and adventure centre, a subtropical swimming pool, a glassworks, the Netherlands’ highest “mountain” (Vaalserberg, 322.5 m) with a maze, several golf-courses, a go-kart track, a historic stream railway, museums and galleries, shops with regional products, welcoming pubs and comfy restaurants.

The dynamic region is currently the fastest growing tourist destination in the Netherlands. It is an area of contrasts and extremes. Parkstad Limburg is home to many outstanding museums and special monuments where Dutch mining history can be relived. Major cultural and sporting events take place here annually. Attractions also include a zoo, the world’s largest indoor ski-slope, an interactive museum, a historic steam railway, an amusement park, an observatory, shopping centres and other places of entertainment.

The gently undulating and flatter northern part of Zuid-limburg, where the Netherlands is at its narrowest, is a unique area where the northernmost extremities of the Ardennes slope down to the flood plain of the river Meuse, making it ideal cycling country. The region is home to many ancient churches, museums, an animal park, an amusement park, shops, shopping centers and restaurants.

It soon becomes that life is good in Maastricht when you visit this magnificent city, the capital of Limburg. Its many shops, museums, monuments, old pubs, fine restaurants, kayak companies, pleasant quaysides, etc. can all be discovered on foot.

• VVV Maastricht