Pieterpad

Welcome to Doetinchem, the starting point of the second part of the Pieter Cycling Route. If you arrive early, take the opportunity to relax at a terrace or explore the vibrant city center. In the evening, enjoy a cozy dinner in one of the local restaurants.

Begin your journey cycling through the high Bergherbos, then descend after the charming German village of Elten to the Gelderse Poort, a remarkable location where the Rhine has carved its way through the hills. Navigate through the water-rich Ossenwaard and the newly developed, bird-rich nature reserve of Revensweert, leading you to the broad river. A bicycle ferry will take you across to Millingen aan de Rijn. From here you can already see the German border, but after Leuth you turn off to the river Waal which leads you to today's final destination.

Passing through the beautiful Ooijpolder, you will soon reach the ‘seven hills’ leading to Groesbeek. The Canadian War Cemetery, the Liberation Museum, and the replica of an Allied glider at Klein Amerika remind you of the final bloody days of World War II. Through the beautiful Zevendal, you descend into the Meuse Valley, where, just before the lively town of Gennep, you will find the ruins of the historic Genneperhuis, a former castle and fortified stronghold at the mouth of the Niers in the Meuse. You now enter the Maasheggen area, the oldest cultural landscape in the Netherlands; a mosaic of meadows, old trees, and hedges, where in spring the hawthorn and blackthorn bloom profusely. It’s not far now to Boxmeer.

Start your journey with a delightful bike ride through the Maasheggen region, the oldest cultural landscape in the Netherlands. Here, you’ll find a mosaic of meadows, ancient trees, and hedgerows, where the mayflower and blackthorn bloom abundantly in spring. You cycle past pretty farming villages along the Meuse. The many streams and old Meuse beds like the Sohr contribute to a green and varied landscape. The area around Lottum and Grubbenvorst is known for its rose cultivation and the 'Gekke Maondaags' tradition.  A ferry takes you to the other bank of the Meuse. Visit the chapel of Notre-Dame de Genooi, the patron saint of the nearby city of Venlo. This ancient Hanseatic city, located at the transition from lowland to hill country, is today's final destination.

Begin todays journey cycling over the Jammerdaalse Heide (“whining heath”), which is said to be named after the lamentations of Caesar's soldiers, who were defeated here by Ambiorix. The ancient clay pits with their steep banks create an eldorado for the rare natterjack toad and the sand martin. The tale of the mad “Moandaagvierder" makes it clear that "you are indeed in Limburg", province of stories. Next, you'll ride along the Prinsendijk, which not only serves as a geological boundary but was also once part of an ancient Roman military road and, in 1944, the German Maas-Roersstellung. After exploring the nature surrounding the meandering Swalm River, you'll reach the impressive Hillenraad Castle. A lovely, winding bike path takes you over the Melickerheide, part of the terrace landscape of National Park de Meinweg, featuring dry dunes and marshy wetlands. The day ends in Roermond, known to many for the Designer Outlet, but it has more to offer than that.

You cycle back from Roermond along the Roer valley to the Pieterpad. At Herkenbosch, you cross the winding Roer River and make your way to Montfort with its impressive medieval castle ruins. The route continues its way through the so-called Green Waist of Limburg (“Smallest piece of the Netherlands”). The varied area east of Susteren consists of deciduous forest, grassland and fields. An important link in the ecological chain is the IJzerenbosch. Among other things, you will find flower carpets of wood anemones, spotted arum and slender primrose. The most special resident is the tree frog. After this forest, you take a trip across the German border, before the stage ends at the old monasteries in Sittard's city center.

The last leg of your journey takes you through the rolling green hills of Limburg, featuring fast-flowing streams, marl caves, limestone houses, and quaint chapels or crosses scattered throughout. The day begins with the challenge of climbing Kollenberg, the northernmost foothill of the Ardennes. A steep ascent with seven “footfalls” leads you to the highest point, where you’ll find the 17th-century Sint Rosakapelle. Pause at Castle Gerlach to admire the sculpture garden and enjoy a coffee at Burgemeester Quicx in the monastery courtyard. Between Rothem and Geulhem, you’ll cycle along the edge of the charming Geuldal. Ride along the brand-new “Groene Loper,” flanked by over two thousand linden trees, into the heart of Maastricht, home to more than 1,650 monuments. The route winds through beautiful old streets, but it’s definitely worth taking some time to explore on foot at the end of this cycling day. Before that, head to Pieterberg, a plateau nestled between the valleys of the Maas and Jeker. Here, a panoramic viewpoint marks the end of your “Pieterfietspad.”

After breakfast, individual return journey or start of your extension.