The best traffic-free bike rides in Waterbloem

cycle path through the forest

Beautiful trail, enjoyed every moment.

Places of interest: • The St. Aldegundis Church, built in 1948, with a 15th-century choir and a 1922 statue of the Sacred Heart. • The rectory at Dorpsstraat 20, originally 18th-century, renovated in the first half of the 19th century. • The Marian Chapel on Kapelstraat. • St. Aldegundis Chapel on Holstraat. • Huis Malborgh, at Dorpsstraat 66, whose history dates back to the 15th century, from 1830. • Huis Dorpsstraat 34, a residence dating from 1661. • Huis Dorpsstraat 40, dating from 1772, the residence of Jacobus Stercken, who was a recipient of the Prince-Bishop of Liège, enlarged in 1819. • Farm Holstraat 36, dating from 1676, renovated in 1840, 1921, and 1979. Source and more information: Wikipedia

Buggenum The place name may be derived from Bug Hemus, which means "homestead in the bend."[source?] The place appears in 1284 as Buggenheym. In 1679, the Prince-Bishop of Liège elevated Buggenum to a lordship. In 1899, the Little Sisters of Saint Joseph settled in Buggenum to provide education and care for the sick. They left in 1972, after which their convent became a community center. The railway bridge over the Meuse River was built in 1929. The village is also home to the 8-kilometer-long Lateral Canal, which runs all the way to Heel. The canal lies west of the Meuse River, which also flows through it. Buggenum was an independent municipality until October 1, 1942, which also included the hamlet of Berik. On that date, it merged with Haelen and Nunhem to form the new municipality of Haelen. This municipality, in turn, merged into the current municipality of Leudal on January 1, 2007. Source and more information: Wikipedia

This monument was unveiled on March 8, 2001, as a memorial to the war years 1940-1945 and to the more than 800 soldiers of 11 nationalities who lost their lives in the Leudal area. The Monument of Tolerance is a regional monument. It serves as a lasting reminder of the soldiers who died in the entire area comprising the present-day municipality of Leudal, the territory of the municipality of Nederweert located east of the Wessem-Nederweert Canal and the Noordervaart canal, and the territory of the municipalities of Maasgouw and Roermond located west of the Meuse River. A CD-ROM containing this information is placed at the heart of the monument. These fallen soldiers can be viewed in a database on our website. The bronze statue was created by sculptor Thea Houben from Roggel. It consists of a semi-arc on an equilateral triangle, symbolizing the Divine. The seagulls represent freedom. The sword with the laurel wreath and the clasped hands represent the battle that has been fought and the brotherhood that endures despite death. The design of this application, as well as the symbolism of the seagulls, was conceived by John Wagemans. The base of the monument is paved with cobblestones, one for each fallen soldier. The red rays in the paving symbolize the nationalities of the fallen. Source and more: https://monumentoftolerance.com/nl/monument

The Leudal is a 900-hectare nature reserve consisting primarily of forests with scattered grasslands, fields, and patches of heathland. Three streams flow through the area: the Leubeek, the Zelsterbeek, and the Haelensche Beek; for this reason, the Leudal is also known as the "Three Rivers Land." Approximately 500 hectares of the area are managed by the Dutch Forestry Commission (Staatsbosbeheer). Source: https://www.leumolen.nl/Entree/Start%20Leumolen/DeLeumolen.htm

The municipality of Leudal is named after the Leudal nature reserve, which forms the heart of the municipality. Due to its green character, this municipality is sometimes called the Garden of Limburg. The Leudal nature reserve is located between the villages of Haelen, Roggel, Neer, Nunhem, and Heythuysen and covers approximately 900 hectares. 500 hectares of this area is managed as a reserve by the Dutch Forestry Commission (Staatsbosbeheer). In addition to the stream valleys that have formed the nature reserve, the area also boasts beautiful sights such as the Sint Ursulamolen windmill. Due to its unique character, the Leudal nature reserve has been designated Natura 2000, safeguarding its biodiversity. The stream valleys in the Leudal are picturesquely beautiful. The Zelsterbeek and Leubeek streams meander among the trees. Over centuries, water has eroded the stream valleys so deeply that they have created ravines. At the transition from higher to lower ground, runoff has carved out hollow paths. The stream valleys create the Leudal landscape with unique flora and fauna. It consists largely of forests of hazel, birch, and willow, and the kingfisher, which catches fish in the streams, lives in the banks. Source and more information: https://www.hartvanlimburg.nl/nl/natuurgebied-het-leudal

Interesting double lock, even without a flock of sheep