Cycling along the only gravel river in the Netherlands
The Grensmaas lies in Limburg, between Wessem and Maastricht. It is the only gravel river in the Netherlands. Here, the river has the character of a hill-country river, with a narrow bed set deep in the landscape. Ships do not sail on this part of the Meuse. The river meanders too much and there are too many sand and gravel banks in the water. That is exactly why you see a different side of the Maas along the way: shallow, lively and always connected to the banks around it.
Through Rivierpark Maasvallei
Between Maastricht and Thorn, the Meuse forms the border between the Netherlands and Belgium for about 50 kilometres. In Rivierpark Maasvallei, you see how this river has shaped the landscape for centuries. It deposits gravel, wears away banks and creates new channels.
Project Grensmaas gives the river more space again and helps protect the area better against high water. The new nature connects to the Maasplassen area, where deep gravel lakes and wide banks shape the view. This way, you cycle through a border landscape that keeps changing, with the Meuse as a constant line through it.
New nature with grazing animals
In total, 1,000 hectares of new nature are being created in the area. Staatsbosbeheer and Natuurmonumenten manage these nature areas together with wild and free-roaming herds of Konik horses and Galloway cattle.
During your ride, you may come across these grazers in the floodplains. They keep the landscape open and add variety to nature. Along the way, you see how the Maas, the banks and the animals continue to shape the area together.