Schadijkse forests

The Schadijkse or Schadijker forests are located northwest of the Limburg village of Meterik, west of Schadijk and north of the village of America, in the municipality of Horst aan de Maas. In the past, there were vast heath fields here. Farmers cut turf and let sheep graze. This created bald spots, allowing the wind to carry away the underlying sand. Hence the hilly character in a large part of the forest. At the end of the 19th century, efforts were made to combat the sand drifts by planting large areas with Scots pines. The heath fields were transformed into agricultural land. Along the Bergsteeg lies another sand drift, locally referred to as the sand mountain. During World War II, this area served as a hiding place, among others for students and male residents from nearby villages who wanted to escape German conscription. The memorial cross for Derk van Assen. This resistance fighter from Maastricht refused to reveal the names of fellow resistance fighters after his arrest. As a result, he was executed by the Germans in the Schadijkse forests.

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