VALKENBURG AND CYCLING
Valkenburg is well known to both men's and women's pelotons, as the finish of the Amstel Gold Race was held here every year between 2003 and 2022, while the town has also hosted the Road World Championships five times, in 1938, 1948, 1979, 1998 and 2012. If there's one rider who is particularly fond of Valkenburg, it's Marianne Vos. In 2012, the Dutchwoman won the second of her three world titles in the road race. She also won the Amstel in 2021 and the European U23 Championship in 2006, as well as three editions of the Hills Classic, finishing on the summit of the Cauberg in 2007, 2009 and 201, and two rounds of the Cyclo-cross World Cup in 2011 and 2012. The other world champions crowned in Valkenburg were Dutchwoman Petra de Bruin in 1979 and Lithuanian Diana Ziliute, who beat Leontien van Moorsel in a sprint in 1998. Valkenburg has also featured twice on the route of the Tour of the EEC. In the men's category, the city crowned Belgians Marcel Kint (1938), Alberic Schotte (1948) and Philippe Gilbert (2012), Dutchman Jan Raas (1979) and Swiss Oscar Kamenzind (1998). Valkenburg has twice featured on the route of the men's Tour de France, in 1992 for a stage won by Frenchman Gilles Delion ahead of Stephen Roche, and in 2006, when victory went to Germany's Matthias Kessler, who resisted the peloton's comeback at the last minute. Valkenburg riders include Marc Lotz, who took part in the Tour de France five times for Rabobank between 1999 and 2004, Raymond Meijs, world junior champion in 1985, Rob Ruijgh, who took part in two Tours de France in 2011 and 2012, and Jan van Hout, who held the hour record in 1933 and died in deportation in 1945 after resisting the Germans.
SIGHTS:
- Cauberg
The Cauberg is a monument of Dutch cycling and is on the route of a number of competitions. It has been the finishing line of the Amstel Gold Race since 2003 and is often climbed several times during the event. Since the 2013 edition, it has been located a few hectometres before the finish. In 1938, 1948, 1979, 1998 and 2012, the Cauberg was on the route of the Road World Championships. On 4 July 2006, it marked the finish of stage 3 of the Tour de France, and since 2011 it has hosted the Cauberg Cyclo-Cross, a leg of the Cyclo-Cross World Cup.
The ascent is 1,450 metres long, with an average gradient of 5% and a maximum gradient of 12%. The altitude at the summit is 141 m.
At the foot of the Cauberg is the entrance to the communal grotto, a marl mine where guided tours are organised. Higher up is a copy of the Lourdes grotto with an open-air chapel. The Cauberg cemetery is terraced along the ascent. At the top of the Cauberg is the Thermae 2000 spa centre, a casino and a holiday village.
- Valkenburg Castle
Construction: 12th to 14th centuries.
Style: medieval.
History: Gossuin I, Lord of Fauquemont (Valkenburg), erected fortifications on the site in 1115. This wooden structure was destroyed in 1122 during the siege by Henry V of the Holy Roman Empire. The castle was rebuilt in the following centuries, only to be damaged again, this time by John III, Duke of Brabant. The current ruins are those of the 14th-century castle. It was destroyed during the Dutch War in 1672 by the army of William III of Orange-Nassau to prevent it falling into French hands.
Characteristics: its remains dominate the valley of the Gueule, a tributary of the Meuse.
Listed as: national monument.
- Gates of Valkenburg
Construction: 14th century.
Style: medieval.
History: in December 1672, during France’s Louis XIV's campaign against the United Provinces, the town was destroyed but not rebuilt. Three of the town's gates have been restored: the Berkelpoort, the Grendelpoort since 1923, and the Geulpoort, rebuilt from scratch using period miniatures in 2014. A few fragments of the fortifications are still visible today.
Listed as: National monument (Rijksmonument).
- Château Den Halder
Construction: 14th and 17th centuries.
Style: medieval.
History: situated directly on the River Geul, the castle evolved from a medieval defence tower that formed part of the fortifications of Valkenburg. The first mention of Den Halder as a fortified tower appears in a deed of 1381 from the Duke of Brabant. It was not until the early 17th century that Den Halder became a real castle, mainly thanks to the major works ordered by Gerard van Meer in 1635. The castle included a farm, an oil mill, an orchard and other land, as well as ponds. The complex was sold to a Frenchman, Bertrand Loisel, during the French occupation of the town in 1804.
Current destination: tourist office.
Listed as: National Monument (Rijksmonument).
- Roman Catacombs
It is an extremely meticulous replica of parts of the catacombs of Rome. At the beginning of the 20th century, parts of the main catacombs of Rome were sculpted with great precision from Valkenburg limestone in the Heidegroeve, under the direction of architect Pierre Cuypers. The complex was opened to the public in 1910 and is now a listed National Monument.
TO EAT:
- Vlaai
Vlaai, also known as the Limburg vlaai, is a pie consisting of a pastry and a filling. Vlaai is generally between 26 and 31 centimetres in diameter. It is a typical product of the Limburg provinces in the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as the regions of Germany on the other side of the border. Variations are available throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and North Rhine-Westphalia. There are many varieties of fruit fillings, such as cherries, apricots, strawberries and plums. Other variations include crumbled butter and sugar (greumellevlaai in Limburg or kruimelvlaai in Dutch) and rice with custard (rijstevlaai).
Vlaais are often eaten on special occasions such as birthdays and funerals.
