The Grensmaas can be found in the province of Limburg between the towns of Wessem and Maastricht. It is the only gravel river in the Netherlands. The river is very special in the Netherlands because it has the character of a hilly river.
The Grensmaas is characterized by a narrow, deeply incised bed that lies between higher grounds. Ships cannot sail on the river because it meanders too much and has many sand and gravel banks. As a result, the water is relatively shallow.
In this area, work is being carried out on flood protection by widening the stream channel and lowering the flood plains. Once the work is complete, a varied landscape will emerge with nutrient-rich pools, ruins, grasslands, and river forests. The bank lowering at the various locations averages 6 to 7 m.
The 1000 ha of new nature is part of the cross-border Rivierpark Maasvallei, with plenty of opportunities to enjoy the wide-open Maas landscape on both the Flemish and Dutch side.
Staatsbosbeheer and Natuurmonumenten are managing the new nature areas together with the wild and freely roaming herds of Konik horses and Galloway cattle.
You can download the route for free. Do you prefer a paper bicycle map? Buy it from the webshop