The best walks and hikes around Stein

The tea house in Kasteelpark Elsloo, locally known as ’t zomerhuuske, is temporarily closed to visitors. Last summer, the historic structure was once again damaged by arson.

In addition to pedestrian traffic, the place also serves as a passage for the fast-flowing Hemelbeek. The pedestrian path is narrow and dark, especially if you encounter oncoming traffic, it is best to be careful not to step off the path.

The majority of shipping traffic going to Belgium and France via the Meuse flows through the Juliana Canal. The canal begins north of Maastricht at the Borgharen weir as a branch of the Meuse, and ends approximately 36 km further at Maasbracht, where the water flows back into the Meuse. The canal follows the course of the Meuse, which flows slightly west of the canal and forms the border with Belgium there (the "Grensmaas"). To the east of the canal runs the A2 motorway. The canal is named after Princess Juliana. On October 22, 1925, the then 16-year-old princess came to Limmel to symbolically break ground. At Elsloo, the Scharberg had to be dug through in 1929. During these works, a soil layer rich in shark teeth from the Miocene was exposed.

See also highlight: https://www.komoot.com/nl-nl/highlight/6608973 Hoxweerdbrug Flood Bridge The flood bridge that turns the Stein village of Maasband into an island when the Maas River is at a high water level. The bridge has been named Hoxweerdbrug. The name of the bridge is a reference to Hoxweerd, a wooded area that used to be located at this spot. More info: • https://grensmaas.nl/locaties/maasband • https://stevacon.nl/projecten/hoogwaterbrug-maasband Bridge for island in the Maas In the rustic Maasband, Stevacon, together with Boskalis (Combinatie Brug Maasband), is building a bridge over the flood channel. The work is part of the Grensmaas Project. Our sister company Van den Biggelaar Grond- en waterbouw is also involved in the realization and has been improving safety in the river basin between Maastricht and Roosteren as part of the consortium since 2008. To improve safety, the riverbed of the Maas has been widened, banks lowered and dikes strengthened and raised. Meanwhile, villages and towns along the Maas in South Limburg are no longer flooded. And the new nature areas, which have been created with the work, are flourishing. Living on an island To give the Maas even more space at high water levels, a secondary channel is being constructed. For the residents of Maasband, this means that they will live on an island in the Maas and an access bridge is necessary. The design of the bridge was therefore created in consultation with the residents. A competition was even held among the inhabitants of the village for the name of the bridge. Hoxweerd has become the new name. Hoxweerd is the name of the former wooded area in which the bridge has taken shape over the past year. The bridge The deck and pillars of the approximately 160-meter-long bridge are made entirely of cast-in-place concrete. The six pillars are 10 meters high and have a specific shape. The bridge deck is over 9 meters wide and 1.15 meters thick and is prestressed after pouring. After the realization of the bridge, Consortium Grensmaas can begin with the excavation of the secondary channel.

Rogue Youth, They can't keep their hands off anything. 'There's a lot of outrage' after fire at Elsloo teahouse 30/08/2025 The teahouse in Elsloo Castle Park was severely damaged by fire during the night from Friday to Saturday. Car tires were likely set on fire inside the teahouse, causing significant damage. "There's a lot of outrage among local residents," says Dion Groenestijn, who lives near the teahouse. "It's really affecting people, especially since this isn't the first time." Third fire Groenestijn told L1 on Saturday that the building had also been hit by a fire in 2020. "Fortunately, it wasn't too bad then and the damage was easily repaired." It was much more serious in 2015: the teahouse burned down completely. "There were doubts about rebuilding it at the time. Fortunately, they ultimately did. Because the teahouse is truly a landmark for us." Source/Info: • 08/2025 https://www.l1nieuws.nl/nieuws/2978162/verontwaardiging-is-groot-na-brand-in-theehuisje-elsloo • 10/2025 https://limburg.headliner.nl/item/poort-van-kasteelpark-elsloo-s-avonds-dicht-na-veelvuldig-vandalisme-camerabewaking-nog-niet-ingezet-limburger-199536

The high-water bridge between Maasband and Meers is called the Hoxweerd Bridge and will open in December 2023 as part of the Grensmaas Project. The bridge is designed to keep Maasband accessible during high water levels, as the village will then become an island due to the construction of a new flood channel. The name "Hoxweerd" was chosen through a competition and refers to a former forest area at this location.

This platform overlooks the most dynamic sections of the Grensmaas river. Here, the Meuse riverbed has been widened for flood protection, with gravel extraction and unique natural development as key benefits. Nature has developed rapidly here and is frequently visited by many species of waterfowl. Common terns, little ringed plovers, and ospreys have already been spotted. Beavers have also been sighted. Numerous species of flowers, plants, and herbs flourish on the riverbanks, forming part of the area's rich biodiversity. This Natuurmonumenten viewing platform was largely created by volunteers from the surrounding area. The platform, with its information panel, is located opposite a gravel ridge of the Grensmaas river in a section where water levels fluctuate significantly throughout the year. Starting in the spring of 2020, this viewing platform will be part of a new walking trail "Euver de klauwen" (Euver de claws), featuring Meuse boulders with cultural-historical information. Source and more information: https://vogelkijkhut.nl/view/754/ - you will also find bird sightings there.

In the Meerser Koegriend along the Meuse River, fifteen tree trunks stand, which initially give the impression that a piece of forest has burned down or that the logging was not entirely successful. The truth is quite different. The tree trunks, some of which are 1,400 to 1,700 years old, are part of a new monument. The fifteen fossilized trees were excavated from beneath the gravel during excavations in Stevensweert. The Ark Foundation, which develops the nature around the Grensmaas river, has, with the support of the province and Maaswerken, the company carrying out the Grensmaas project, ensured that the trees that will form the new monument in the Koegriend in Meers are standing upright and placed in a winding row as a monument to nature along the meandering Meuse river. The imposing giants, up to two meters thick and up to eight meters long, symbolize the riparian forest that grew here, but also the new forest that will rise on the barren plain left behind by the gravel diggers. They symbolize the power of Mother Nature. The trunks serve as a compass, calendar, and map. Some mark the four cardinal directions, while others, with their shadows, mark the beginning of the different seasons. Other trees stand in a straight line with the surrounding Maas villages: Meers, Elsloo, Maasband, Stein, and the Belgian towns of Kotem and Maasmechelen. Together, they form a winding figure that defines the current course of the Meuse River. In December 2003, these ancient giants were anchored with steel bands to a steel base plate, which in turn is attached to a thick steel pipe, which was first driven into the ground. The final unveiling took place on June 21, 2004. Source and more information: https://kleinemonumentenstein.nl/monumenten/diversen/bomencirkel?highlight=WyJtZWVycyJd