Meuse - Roer - Elmpter Wald - Meinweg gravel route

General description, scenery and places of interest:
This gravel route starts from the parking lot of the castle ruins of Montfort and takes you through Central Limburg and a part of Germany (Elmpter Wald), and is the longer variant of the route Elmpter Wald - Meinweg - Roer gravel route (which starts from Sint Odiliënberg). The route consists of almost 58% gravel roads and is very varied:
- you cycle a few times briefly along the Maas and the Roer,
- you cycle on gravel roads through arable areas,
- but above all you cycle through many nature reserves (the forests near Montfort (Rozendaal Estate), the Roer Valley, the vast forest and heath areas of Meinweg National Park, Luzenkamp nature reserve and the adjacent hilly Elmpterwald in Germany with kilometers of gravel roads, and the Munnichsbosch).

The terrain is hilly here and there (due to the Maas and Roer) and you even get a number of gravel climbs in the Elmpter Wald and De Meinweg National Park under your wheels.
Just before Vlodrop, the route passes Sport and Rijwielhuis Piet Daemen.

For an overview of all gravel sections and their length, see the route description below.

Road conditions:
Please note: in times of high tide, the Roer can overflow its banks to such an extent that the bicycle bridge over the Roer at Paarlo and local roads can be closed.
In the NP De Meinweg you cycle partly on the gravel cycle paths (very fine-grained gravel) that are part of the cycle route network. And the first time you cross the border between the Netherlands and Germany (Lüsekamp nature reserve) you have to go through a gate. The gravel roads in the Elmpter Wald are a bit stinner in character than elsewhere on the route.
After rainy periods, some wind- and sun-sheltered roads may be wetter (but still easy to cycle). South of the Melickerven (on the border with Germany) the path is quite sandy over a length of several hundred meters during drought. This can sometimes also apply to the descent at the easternmost point of the route. For these reasons, good and wider (at least 32 mm) gravel tires are recommended.

Food and drinks along the way:
You can eat and drink after 52.5 km at Brasserie de Boshut (visitor center Meinweg), or after 61 km at Hotel St. Ludwig, after 63.5 km at Boshotel Vlodrop, after 66.5 km at Restaurant Aan de Hoeve (at the Gitstappermolen, quietly located, but about 50 meters from the route) or after 69 km in the center of Vlodrop.

Gravel strips and their length in kilometres:
0,8 Rozendaal Estate
0.4 Ruckweg
0,6 valley Vlootbeek
1.8 Linnerweerdsweg/Maasoeverpad
0.6 Heistervoetpad (despite the name suggests, cyclists are also allowed)
0,9 Schroevenstraat (partly along the Meuse)
1,7 Schoeverstraat/Gulikerweg/Veestraatje
0.4 Hemelsbergweg
1.9 Gulikerweg
0,1 Grote Bergerweg - > Waarderweg
0,7 Bosserveldweg
0,7 Dassenratherveldweg
2,0 Veldweg to den Zwarteberg/Zwarteberg
0,7 Rèugkeweg
0.4 Wagsbergweg
1.0 Three-Bush Road
1.7 Luzenkamp
1,0 Thuserhof/Heide
0,4 Duiperweg
6.8 Elmpter Wald/Lüsekamp
2,6 Luzenkamp -> Melickervenweg
1.3 Verlengde Wijngaardstraat/Heidertweg
0.8 Sand Mountains
6.8 NP De Meinweg via Hooibaan
1,9 Boslaan -> Hooibaan, Hooibaan
0,5 Gitstappermolenweg
0.7 Old Mill Road
4.6 Kerkbergweg/Bakhuisweg/Scheidweg
1.4 Brombemkesweg
2,4 Roskam/Munnichsbosch/Putbroekerheiweg
1.5 Road to Munnigsbosch/Goudbergweg
0,2 Hovendwarsweg
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49.3 km of unpaved roads (= 57.8%).