Leut in the Meuse valley

With the church and the coal carrier of Leut (V) on your left, you start towards junction 56. You cycle past the Lindenhof, B&B Basil and take the Burgemeester Vinckenlaan on the left opposite café 't Hoekske. At the end turn right. A little further on you cycle over cobblestones into the hamlet of Mazenhoven. At the chapel of Our Lady of Victory from 1894, turn right and cycle next to the storm barrier towards Vucht. First along the Maas and then along the MaasbempderGreend 1 nature reserve to junction 56. Continue straight ahead, direction 55, and you will arrive at café Den Dieck and the church of Vucht. Cross the intersection and cycle into steegstraat. At the end turn left into the Heirstraat. Cycle between the Jud van Vucht and bicycle café De Passerel to the Zuid-Willemsvaart. Follow the canal to the right on the towpath. See the landscape through a spotter You cycle under the N78 and arrive at a picnic area with a spotter, a nice periscope that you should definitely try out. Toerisme Limburg has placed several 'intelligent periscopes' or 'spotters' in the Maasland: a new and advanced form of landscape experience (and completely free!). In collaboration with National Geographic, the spotters in the Maasland are equipped with videos and sound clips about the many water and birds of prey that occur along the Meuse. Then continue cycling along the canal. Just before the next bridge (Eisden 2) you arrive at junction 55. Continue to follow the channel, direction 48. Right next to the dike is the Kruinenpad with interesting information boards for hikers. On the other bank you can see Maasmechelen Village 2 and two lift towers above the muffled mine shafts, which are preserved as monuments. You cycle along an industrial zone (on the other side) and under the spectacular Cable-stayed Bridge for pedestrians and cyclists. The bridge, with a total length of 123.5 m and a span of 88 m, is 5 m wide and the pylon is 42.5 m high. Along the canal Then you cycle away from the canal and past the Maaslandse Watersportvereniging. You do not have to go back to the canal immediately, but follow a piece of the old Zuid-Willemsvaart that arose when the canal was straightened in the thirties of the last century. Just before a picturesque bridge there is another spotter. You can use it to see the (according to some) most beautiful place in Limburg. The bridge, the old bridge keeper's house, the De Brug fence and the Beau Séjour hotel form a picturesque whole. At the bridge turn left and at the fork choose Tivoli up to the canal. Follow that to the right, direction 48. You can reach that junction at tavern 't Brökhôes. Continue cycling straight ahead, towards 44. On the other bank, the impressive Tripan factory produces precast concrete. You cycle under a former railway bridge and stand at junction 44. Here you turn right, direction 43, and cycle away from the canal over the old railway embankment. Pay attention as you approach that junction! You dive down and come to a dangerous intersection. On the other side you continue to follow the old railway embankment, direction 45. Carefully cross the stone road on Neeroeteren and continue to follow the old railway until junction 45. There you choose diagonally right, direction 26. You now meander along a narrow asphalt road, through an agricultural area. Just before the busy N78, turn left into Siemkensheuvel. Through this residential street you still come to the N78. Turn left on a separate cycle path and then carefully cross the busy road. On the other side you cycle into the Waaierhofstraat and head into the open fields. After a few twists and turns right with a sharp bend into the Krauwelsbosweg, past horse dairy Krayenboschhof and arable farm Diepbeek. Via the Derde straat and the Duivelsbrugweg you cross the Zanderbeek and continue cycling to junction 26 in Heppeneert. Turn right here, direction 46. On the left a storm barrier with slots to insert bulkheads, on the right the church and a coastal work that reminds of the Card Knight. You can see the Maas, but at Bed & Breakfast De Klaproos you cycle up an inner dike, away from the river. It winds towards Elen, of which you can see the church and windmill De Hoop (1870) 3. But you don't have to go that far. Back and forth across the Maas Choose the dike between the Maas and nature reserve Bichterweert 4 and enjoy the beautiful views. You will pass a plaque for the seven crew members of a Royal Air Force aircraft that was shot down here by a German fighter plane in 1943. You reach an intersection of inner dikes at junction 46. Continue cycling through an agricultural landscape towards 49. This is located at the next intersection of inner dikes, at an information column about the cycle route network. It is now moving towards 50. You cycle past tavern De Boyen with terrace and playground and along the old stamineeke Jaak Opsteyn. Then with a large bend around the nature reserve Negenoord-Kerkeweerd 5. You pass Maascentrum De Wissen with Grand Café Hotel with beautiful terrace and leave Stokkem on the right. Even now you can enjoy the impressive views. After a while you drive again along the Maas and along the Molenveld, a cozy tavern-restaurant with terrace, in one of the most beautifully restored farms on the Maaskant. 300 m further you reach junction 50, at border post 116 and the ferry Meeswijk-Berg, popularly called the ferry of Stokkem. If you want to go to the Netherlands, the Hoal Euver II will take you there. This modern ferry from 1998 works very quietly and can carry 100 passengers at once. For cyclists and pedestrians, transfer is free. This tour turns right here, direction 56. Cycle along the Maas and then choose option 56 via the center of Leut. Past the village center of Meeswijk and tavern De Koetsier and then left in Dreef. On the right, behind the square, you can see the windmill Nieuw Leven (1801) 6 of Leut. On the left in the lane is Castle Vilain XIIII, where you can go for a snack and / or a drink. At the end of Dreef you are back at the departure point.