Dutch Mountains, Valkenburg The Netherlands
August 11, 2023 - by Muriel Dassen
Valkenburg aan de Geul, is situated in the far South of the Netherlands in the part that is called the Dutch heuvelland: the hill country. It is one of the few places in the Netherlands where you will find hills. And with its hills, it is a perfect area for some nice riding.
And although we have called this tour the Dutch Mountains and we will mainly stay in the Netherlands, we will take you across the border into Belgium and very close to Germany in the rides.
Of course you can download the GPX / ITN files and full e-books of the 2 rides we have in this tour via our roadtrip planner but you can already find the info in this blogpost.
Valkenburg is a very popular destination for tourists. People mainly come for the beautiful surroundings, the famous caves, the castle ruins and the cosy restaurants and cafes. So it has all the facilities to make this a perfect place to stay during the Dutch Mountains tour.
For the Dutch Mountains tour we want to recommended the following accommodations – all with suitable parking for your bike. If you want to support us to keep supporting you, we do ask you to book the accommodation via the links that we provide as an affiliate of Booking.com.
Recommended hotels:
Rating on Booking.com: Good 7.7
With free on site - not covered - parking
With snackbar, terrace and restaurant
25 to 30 minute walk to Valkenburg centre
Rating on Booking.com: Good 7.1
With free on site – not covered - parking
With bar and restaurant
5 minute walk to Valkenburg centre
Rating on Booking.com: Good 7.9
With secured – not covered – parking on site - fee applicable
With bar and restaurant
5 minute walk to Valkenburg
Rating on Booking.com: Very good 8.5
With free secured on site – not covered - parking
In Valkenburg centre
Rating on Booking.com: Very good 8.5
With free on site – not covered - parking
1 minute walk to Valkenburg centre
Rating on Booking.com: Fabulous 8.6
With on site – not covered - parking, fee applicable
In Valkenburg centre
Ride 1
Ride 1 of the Dutch Mountains tour is around 130 kilometres / 80 miles, taking you for a nice ride in the hills of the province of Limburg. The ride has 2 recommended stops, the first one to the lovely medieval capital of the province of Limburg and the second one at a former abbey just across the border with Belgium. The third and last stop is just outside of Valkenburg at the Geulhemermolen if you want to finish your ride with a drink on a nice terrace.
Maastricht
Our first stop is in the lovely city of Maastricht. In your GPX / ITN file that you can download via our roadtrip planner we have added a bike parking very close to the city centre. If you prefer, there is a public parking garage just across the street of that parking as well.
From the parking you will already have a good view on the oldest bridge in the Netherlands and if you follow the walk that you can find in the e-book that you can also download via our roadtrip planner, you will get a nice taste of the atmosphere and beauty of Maastricht. The Onze Lieve Vrouwenplein with the Basilica of our lady, Wolfstraat, Platielstraat, Vrijthof and Lang Grachtje are our favourites.
And if you decide to take a seat on one of the nice terraces, why don't you try some Limburgse vlaai with your coffee or tea?
Val-Dieu
The second stop of Ride 1 of the Dutch Mountains tour is at the former abbey of Val-Dieu. You can visit the abbey and the brasserie, where they still brew the famous Val-Dieu beers. Or you can enjoy walking around and maybe having a drink or a bite to eat at the old mill, just opposite of the abbey. And if you like beer, you can also buy the beer in the shop to take with you and enjoy later. Whatever you do, have fun with it! If you want to visit the abbey or brasserie, make sure to book tickets in advance via this website.
Geulhemermolen
We have a third stop in your ride at the Geulhemermolen just outside of Valkenburg. It is a nice spot to enjoy a refreshing drink after your ride.
Ride 2
With ride 2 of the Dutch Mountains tour we will bring you to the highest point in the Netherlands and for lunch to one of our favourite stops in this area. The
ride is some 140 kilometres / 85 miles long through the hills of the South of the Netherlands and even a small part of Belgium. The ride has 2 stops, but do try to stop and enjoy a nice view now and than as well. And we will end the ride at one of the recommended accommodations with a lovely view!
Het Drielandenpunt
After some first winding roads through the hills of the South of the province of Limburg, we will get to the absolute highest point in the Netherlands: de Vaalserberg, the mountain of Vaals. Therefor we thought it was OK to name this tour the Dutch Mountains. We have climbed our way up to 322.4 metres or 1,058 ft. And this is also the point where the Netherlands, Belgium ánd Germany touch. With a good bike parking (in the GPX / ITN file that you can download via our roadtrip planner) and a kiosk / snackbar, this is a nice stop to walk around and have a drink and maybe a bite to eat. Try to leave a gap, because we are taking you to one of our favourite lunch stops in this area!
Brasserie De Zeute Aardbei
This strawberry farm makes everything of and with strawberries: juice, jam, dressing,sauce, chocolates, cake and even a Strawberrysecco! You can buy all the products in the shop, but the Brasserie also serves nice lunch dishes.....also without strawberries if you are not a fan. As it can be busy, we do recommend to make a reservation in advance if you want to avoid waiting. Although in Dutch you will find the contact details via this link.
Brasserie Kasteel Schaloen
We're ending this ride 2 at one of the recommended accommodations: Brasserie Kasteel Schaloen. This is what a castle should look like! You can enjoy a drink from the Brasserie with a view on this beauty, just 2 km, a bit over 1 mile outside of Valkenburg.
Go on your own QUAZY RIDE
You can download the GPX / ITN files of the rides and the full e-books via our roadtrip planner and then we hope you will enjoy the rides you will be doing in this Quazy Rides Dutch Mountains motorcycle tour and your stay in Valkenburg.
If you are posting on social media, don't forget to tag Quazy Rides or use the #QuazyRides, because we LOVE to see you having fun with our rides.
