A longer version on Gravelen through the Maasduinen

This route is a variant of my route Gravelen through the Maasduinen, one that is 27 km longer and covers slightly more gravel roads in percentage terms. To achieve this, the original route has been changed in the northern, southern and in some parts on the middle at a number of points.

The route starts from Arcen and goes clockwise. But of course you can also start at any other place (e.g. in Well, or from the Putjesberg car park in Knikkerdorp, or in Afferden). The area of the Maasduinen is very suitable for gravel: the route follows many unpaved (very fine gravel) cycle paths in North Limburg. Often there are also gravel roads along these cycle paths (which can also be taken with 28 mm anti-puncture tires per road bike), so that you do not have to get in the way of recreational cyclists. 55% of the route consists of gravel (for all gravel strips and their length, see below). The gravel strips vary from wide straight strips, to narrow winding strips in slightly hilly terrain, to pebble-like strips in parts of the Steprather Heath (D).

You come through a varied landscape: along heathland, through forests, along the Meuse, along lakes and lakes and you also cycle through small-scale cultural and agricultural landscape. You will pass castle ruins Bleijenbeek, Haus Steprath, Walbeck Castle and Arcen Castle. The route comes 3 times in Germany (through the Steprather Heide, west of Straelen, and around Walbeck Castle). In the Steprather Heath and near the border west of Walbeck, the terrain is slightly hilly, so you get a short climb for the wheels a few times. Some parts of the route can be busier on Sundays and public holidays (namely the passage along the Reindersmeer, the crossing of Arcen and the road through villa park Klein Vink).

If you want to eat on the way (just over halfway through the route, around km 75, assuming you start the route in Arcen) then that is very difficult: directly on the route there is no catering around this distance (except for Hoeve de Maasduinen in Tuindorp, where you have tea / coffee and pie in the spring / summer season). One possibility is to go one kilometer of the route and cycle to the Wellsche Hut (at kilometer point 76.2 you deviate from the route). If you start from Afferden, Arcen is an ideal break place with many opportunities to eat and drink. A tip: At Bauerncafé Jacobs (between Straelen and Schandelo, just before the border crossing) they have a very wide choice of pies!

Because of the route (elongated in NW-SE direction), you can cross at different places to make the distance shorter.

An overview of all gravel strips (with their length in kilometers), starting in Arcen:

1,2 Eikenweerd (along the Meuse)
0.4 Leeberg
0.3 Black Mountain
1.4 Forest road
1.9 Rode Dijk/In den Honnen (D), the German part is not gravel but forest road.
0,9 Boundary marker 500 -> Walbecker Road
1.1 Heiweg (through a small nature reserve)
1.9 Swamp Road
2.0 Looierheide (narrow and winding gravel cycle path, you also go through 2 gates that you have to open)
0.2 Zeelberg
1,5 Chess/Looische Graafweg
0.1 Geysselberg
0.2 Along the Meuse near Well (not accessible at high tide)
0,3 De Baend (not accessible at high tide)
2.0 Vossenheuvel/Heuloërbroek
0.7 Holshaag
0,3 Bergsche Heide
4,2 Bleijenbeek (partly goes through golf course, take into account golfers who move on this path)
1.1 Ripples
0.3 Afferden Sports Park
7,0 Green Stripe - Broedersbosch - Afferdense Duinen
2,4 Broedersbosch (wide, straight gravel roads)
1.7 Lackey
0,5 Extended Baalsedijk
0.5 Ceres Road
7.7 Eckeltse Bergen and Berger Heide (1x crossing main road): fairly narrow, hilly and winding gravel cycle paths.
2.0 Wolfsven/Reindersmeer (via the gravel road Wolfsven, the non-mandatory cycle path along it is paved)
2.0 Molenbeekweg/Bergweg
3.2 Kevelaarse Weg/Meerse Weg
5,7 Steprather Heide (D), parts of the unpaved roads have a bit more pebble.
0.6 Walbecker Road
1.6 Zandhoekse Weg/Zandberg
1,6 Straelensche Pants
0.4 Hanik Border Crossing
0.2 Hanikerweg (via the gravel road, the non-mandatory cycle path is paved)
3,3 Schandelosche Heide/Lommer Heide
1.8 Leermarksche Heide
----+
64.2 km of gravel roads (= 54.9%)