Varied route along the Maas and the Maasplassen, through picturesque villages, along quiet rural roads, by a castle, a watermill, a windmill, and over a piece of old railway bed.

Text and photos Stan Verelst

The route

Meet at the parking lot behind the church of Heppeneert (V). You start with the church on your left and the quay wall on your right, cycling past the town hall with the modern sculpture group De Boetelingen and the village inn In de Wingerd until you reach KP 26. Continue straight, towards KP 24. ● Ride further until just before the N78, where you can take a parallel road beside the busy road. Just before a roundabout, make a right-left zigzag and continue straight along the Maas. ● You bike under a bridge and on the other side is a ‘turnaround sign’, towards KP 24. If you follow that sign, you can cycle from KP 24 through the center of Maaseik to KP 25. Ignore this sign and continue straight along the Maas. Then turn left into Bleumerhoven. ● The road transitions into a broader concrete road and the landscape becomes rougher. At the junction, keep left and then turn right onto Aldeneikerweg, with loose development on the left, fields and meadows on the right. ● You pass the cemetery and the agglomeration sign of Aldeneik, ignore the Processieweg on the right, and cycle by the Sint-Harlindis and Relindis Chapel (1) with the Willibrordus well. Across the street is hotel Oude Eycke. ● At the following junction, continue straight to the Sint-Annachurch of Aldeneik, which used to belong to the abbey of Aldeneik. Here, you reconnect with the junction points. Turn right towards KP 25. Cycle around the church and at the T-junction turn right. Ignore the side streets and turn left at the T-junction after the end of the agglomeration sign of Aldeneik.

White smoke

Via a mini roundabout, you bike between two large ponds and then turn left over a small bridge. You cycle between a large pond on the left and the Maas on the right, with the wine domain Aldeneyck, until you reach the intersection with KP 25. Turn right towards KP 22. ● You cycle past camping Den Boomgaard, café De Sjeiven Dörpel, and restaurant De Leeuwerik, then dive back down to the bank of the Maas. Continue straight, along camping park Meinekom. Ignore Haansberg on the left and continue along Hotel De Spaenjerd until you reach KP 22 with the pedestrian and cycling ferry Ophoven. ● Turn left towards KP 21. Bike around marina De Spaanjerd (2) and further turn left into Vroenhof. You cycle past the agglomeration sign of Geistingen and the Sint-Lambertus church and café Beej Nelis. At the T-junction with café Het Orgelhuys on the left, turn right, along the community center of Geistingen. At the junction at the Spar, slightly turn right, towards the cooling towers of the Claus power plant in the Dutch Maasbracht. At the end of 2020, electricity will once again be produced here with natural gas and white smoke will rise from the cooling towers again. ● Ignore a road on the left and continue straight into a dead-end street. You cycle between posts and past an information board about the climate forest of the Witbeek valley and further along Botel Ophoven. Leave a roundabout to the left and continue along the elevated dike until you can turn left towards the Sint-Martinus church of Kessenich. Continue straight along the village pump until you reach the T-junction with KP 21. Turn left, towards KP 20, along café De Luie Hook. It indeed goes slightly uphill. ● At the junction, turn right and after the Sint-Jozef chapel turn right into Vijverbroekstraat, which is a dead end, but not for cyclists.

Open agricultural landscape

You may now descend a bit and cycle along the forest edge and nature area Vijverbroek. You come to a small junction. Continue straight back into the inhabited world. ● Bike further until you reach the N78. Cross it straight and continue through Kleine Kasteelstraat. At the T-junction, turn right, towards the church of the Dutch Neeritter. At KP 20, turn left over Lakerweg, towards KP 19. You cycle past castle Borgitter (3) and farm Engelenveld, where you can get farm ice cream and other local products. Ignore the side roads, enjoy the open agricultural landscape, and continue until you reach KP 19. Continue straight, towards KP 28. At the four-way junction, turn left through Manestraat until you reach the intersection with Breeërsteenweg, next to café De Grenshook. Continue straight into Heinestraat. ● At the first four-way junction, continue straight. At the second, follow Raam to the right until you can turn left into the Jettenweg. You will come to the N762. Cross it straight and continue along a road meant for local traffic. Ignore the side roads and proceed through the open agricultural landscape until you reach the four-way junction with KP 28. Turn left towards KP 27. At the T-junction where the right is unpaved, turn left. ● Ignore the side roads, cycle along the forest edge and castle Nieuwenhof with a closed farm until you reach KP 27. Continue straight, towards KP 45. Ignore the side roads, bike past cemetery Egelsberg (Maaseik) and turn right at the T-junction, following Kriekelsheuvelstraat until you reach the four-way junction with straight ahead being a dead-end. Turn left, following Kromme Kamp and further through a residential district until you reach the T-junction. ● Turn right through Verloren Kost to the priority road (N773). Cross it with a right-left zigzag straight over and continue along Wurfelderweg. At the first small junction, turn left. Ignore the right road leading to hotel Kasteel Wurfeld and continue until you reach the T-junction with the Wurfeldermolen (4) on the right. Turn left over Wurfeldermolenweg until you reach the old railway bed. Turn right onto the former railway.

Windmill De Hoop

Cross a crossroad straight and continue until KP 45. Turn left, towards KP 26. Just before the N78, turn left over Siemkensheuvel until you return to the N78. ● Follow it over the bike path left until you reach the traffic lights. Turn right across the N78 and on the other side turn right over the bike path along the N78. Turn left into Waaierhofstraat just before the Esso station, then turn right into Krauwelbosweg. ● Ignore a road on the right and continue until you reach the T-junction. Left goes to KP 26. Here we create our own variant. Turn right and at the small junction continue straight. Shortly thereafter, you cycle past windmill De Hoop (5). Then turn left into the second street. This is Langerijnsweg. ● You ride past a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of perpetual help and bike at the first four-way junction left. Winding further between the fields and an orchard and along a brick field chapel, until you reach a T-junction. To the right goes over an inner dike to KP 45. Bike left, towards KP 26, along brasserie and B&B ’t Goedhof until the starting point at the church.