What to do in Limburg
South Limburg draws cyclists year-round, partly because the same roads used by the Amstel Gold Race professional race run through the Heuvelland. The hills make for genuine climbs rather than flat country touring. Near Vaals, the Drielandenpunt marks the spot where the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany share a border, a short walk from the Vaalserberg summit.
Maastricht sits about 30 kilometres south of Valkenburg and ranks among the most visited cities in the Netherlands. The Vrijthof square forms the centre of its medieval street plan, and the restaurant and café scene draws visitors well beyond the usual sightseeing crowd. Valkenburg itself is built around a ruined hilltop castle and the Fluweelengrot cave system, with a compact centre that fills with terrace visitors through much of the year. Just outside Valkenburg, Thermae 2000 is one of the largest spa complexes in the Netherlands, fed by natural thermal water and spread across multiple sauna and pool areas.
Holiday parks in Limburg with a swimming pool
Many holiday parks in Limburg have their own pool, and some larger parks include full indoor subtropical facilities. That makes them a practical choice in spring and autumn, when the outdoor temperatures are unpredictable but the hills and towns are far less crowded. Use the filter on this page to narrow your search to parks with a swimming pool.
The south gives you hills and timber-framed villages, the north space and water. Half an hour of driving separates them.
Where to go in Limburg
Maastricht is covered earlier on this page, but beyond the city there are several towns worth planning around. Roermond lies at the junction of the Maas and Roer rivers and is home to one of the largest designer outlet centres in the Netherlands. Thorn is a small fortified town in North Limburg known for its whitewashed buildings, a contrast to the stone architecture further south. Arcen has castle gardens that open seasonally along the Maas. Around Gulpen and the southern Heuvelland, the vineyards of the Zuid-Limburg wine region produce wines that have grown steadily in reputation over the past two decades.
Things to do in Limburg with kids
Limburg works well as a family base. The cave systems around Valkenburg give children something genuinely different from a standard day out. Wildwaterpark De Lint in Arcen runs water-based activities through the summer months. Cycling the Heuvelland routes with children takes some planning given the gradients, but the varied terrain keeps the ride interesting at any pace.
Tip
Pick your park by what you want to do rather than by the middle. The three-country point, Thermae 2000 and the marl caves are in the south; the Maasduinen, Arcen castle gardens and Toverland are in the north. A park halfway means half an hour to either.
What time of year suits Limburg best?
Spring (April to May) brings blossom to the fruit trees along the Maas valley, and the Heuvelland hill routes are noticeably quieter than in peak summer. Summer (June to August) is warm and often sunny. Limburg consistently records the highest average temperatures in the Netherlands, which fills the terraces in Maastricht and Valkenburg from June onward. Autumn (September to November) is a good time to walk the Mergelland forests when the colours are at their strongest, and the vineyards around Gulpen take on a different look as the harvest season closes. Winter (December to February) centres on Valkenburg, where the annual Christmas market runs inside the cave system beneath the town, an arrangement you will not find anywhere else in the country.
