Quarry Houben

Not far from the open-air theater in Spaubeek, there is a gravel pit. It is commonly referred to as 'Groeve Houben'. In 1965, the excavation of sand and gravel from this pit began.
Today, the pit is a geological treasure trove. You can read the history of the region from it. The excavations have nicely exposed the different layers of sand and gravel, allowing you to distinguish them clearly. Beneath a layer of topsoil about half a meter thick lies a five-meter thick loess package, an ancient layer of sand and gravel from the Pleistocene, about ten meters thick, and below that, a nine-meter thick layer of sand from the Miocene, which is five to twenty-five million years old and is also called silver sand.
The upper layer contains a lot of material that was transported by the Meuse from northern France, Belgium, and Germany. The oldest rock in this area is quartzite, originating from the Cambrian period, around 500 million years ago. Some of the large Meuse boulders near the nearby Annakapel come from this pit.
The gravel pit is no longer active today. The owner of Groeve Houben and the owner of the Groeve Bruls located in Schinnen are exploring how this remarkable geological area can remain invaluable for both people and nature. The aim is to make the pits experienceable and accessible for walkers, cyclists, and hospitality, with respect for nature.

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