オランダの峡谷・トップ20

Along the rippling Geul River, an impressive marlstone wall rises, a silent witness to Limburg's underground landscape. These calcareous rocks were used for centuries for construction and crafts and now offer a fascinating sight for hikers and nature lovers. The wall forms a natural boundary along the water and, in some places, harbors small caves and niches where flora and fauna have found a home. The contrast of the white marl against the green foliage and the glistening water of the Geul makes this a particularly photogenic and tranquil spot during your walk.

Beautiful part of the walk along the Geul

Info about these caves: https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strooberggroeve

When the path that has been running between slopes and sloping forest on one side and the Geul on the other side suddenly starts to rise a bit, you know what is coming: part of the marl crops out and offers you a glimpse of what you can discover if you take one of the paths away from the Geul: quarries and marl.

Wonderful single track with deliciously scented wild garlic on both sides.

The Trichterberg quarry is located in the forest to the left of the steep Eckelraderweg, between Gronsveld and Eckelrade. Diagonally opposite are dole chambers. The quarry has been designated as a “Geological Monument”. Steep limestone walls with here and there sawn surfaces and a few small corridor remains are the only remains. Not much is known about the Trichterberg quarry. That is why Peter Jennekens, Kevin Amendt and Rob Habets wrote a source overview for the magazine of the Study Group Underground Limestone Quarries - Natural History Society in Limburg. Based on this, they cautiously conclude that the origin of the quarry must lie somewhere between the years 1846 and 1867. The entire PDF with all sources can be found at https://www.sok.nl (November 2013 edition).

Text board [see photo] Limestone quarry Trichterberg Geological Monument Limestone quarry Trichterberg In the past, limestone was mined at this location. This limestone was used as building blocks and at a later time for fertilizing (oenergelen) fields and meadows ` In the upper Cretaceous (80 to 65 million years ago) the whole of South Limburg was flooded by a 'Cretaceous sea'. Many plants and animals that are now extinct lived in this tropical sea. The limestone visible here consists of countless skeletons of small plants and animals that formed the plankton. Many large animals also lived in this Cretaceous sea, such as the ten-meter-long 'Mosasaur'. Flint Flint is a hard rock that can form in pure limestone under very special circumstances. Flint consists of pure silica (SiO2). In the Stone Age, this rock was used for making stone tools. Until the last century, flint was used to make fire using the Tinderbox.

Text board [see photo] Gravel pit Savelsbos Geological monument 'Gravel pit Savelsbos'. From Roman times until around 1950, a mixture of sand and gravel was excavated in this pit to improve and harden roads. Around 1 million years ago, the Maas flowed from Eijsden towards Cadier en Keer. At the end of this period, the Maas valley was filled with a mixture of sand and gravel. The sand, gravel and stones present come from the Vosges and the Ardennes.