Bike path - At the bottom of the Cretaceous subtropical sea

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Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)3

33.3 km

313 m

02h13

Medium

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Route information

1871 views | Public | Dutch • French • German

Last verified: 4 June 2025

Azure

Description by the author

Dizzyingly deep quarries, high hills and lots of hidden cultural history, you'll discover it on this Cretaceous cycle path around the Sint-Pietersberg and in the Belgian border town of Riemst.

The soil consists of limestone, once created from an ancient Cretaceous sea. This Maastricht lime proved to be less suitable as a building block, but proved its qualities all the more in the solid cement industry. Many beautiful and fascinating places have arisen in the limestone excavations, such as a reserve of eagle owls, the Night Watch air raid shelter and impressive tusks.

You can park and start at the Fort Sint Pieter car park (Luikerweg 71a, Maastricht).

Via this link you can buy a booklet with a more detailed description of the route.

If you have comments about the route, you can report them via routepunt@visitzuidlimburg.nl.

A complete map of the cycle junctions with all South Limburg junctions in this region is easy to order via www.visitzuidlimburg.nl/webshop.

Region

Three-Country Point Vlaanderen Aldenhofpark Jekerdal Jekerpark

Statistics

Difficulty level: Medium (67/100)

Length: 33.3 km

Duration: 02h13

Total ascent: 313 m

Maximal slope: 5.1 %

Average slope: 0.9 %

Net ascent: -5 m

Total descent: 318 m

Difficulty level according to the author: 4/10

Roads and subsoil

Paved roads: 33 km (99 %)

Cobblestones: 0.111 m (0 %)

Bike paths: 7.31 km (22 %)

Scenery

Car free roads: 6.2 km (19 %)

Noise pollution

Amount of traffic

Natural area

Urban area

Water rich area

Start and end of the route

Closest address to start and end: Oog van Sint Pieter, 6212 Maastricht, Nederland

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Places of interest

ENCI quarry Maastricht
0 · POI
The ENCI quarry is a wonderful example of how an industrial area has been returned to nature. …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Zonneberg quarry
0 · POI
This limestone quarry, the largest of Mount St. Peter, has a rich history. Of all the quarries, …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Plateau of Caestert
0 · Cave
The Caestert Plateau is a plateau that lies partly in the Netherlands and partly in Belgium. It …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Quarry Kanne
1 · POI
Despite the fact that limestone is no longer extracted in Quarry Kanne, this is one of the most …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Muizenberg
0 · Mountain
The Muizenberg is an underground marl quarry located in the southern part of the Cannerberg, …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Château Neercanne
2 · Castle
Neercanne Castle was built on the original site of Roman fortifications whose caves still exist …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
l'Auberge de Neercanne
0 · Eat & Drink
In the former stables of the château is located l'Auberge de Neercanne. Here chef de cuisine …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Cannerberg
0 · Cave
Like so many hills in this area, the Cannerberg is peppered with underground passages due to …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
The Jesuit Mountain
0 · Quarry
Just outside Maastricht, near the border with Belgium, is one of the most beautiful carved …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Saint Peter's Mountain
0 · POI
It is one of the most 'eventful' hills in South Limburg, the Sint Pietersberg. The excavation …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Natuurmonumenten Visitor Centre South Limburg
0 · Cave
Sint-Pietersberg nature reserve The rare limestone slopes and the unique microclimate make the …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)
Fort St. Peter's
0 · Castle
At a strategic point on the Sint-Pietersberg lies Fort Sint Pieter. After the French Louis XIV …
Tourist Board South Limburg (Visit Zuid-Limburg)

Comments

Activities

Nearby

ENCI quarry Maastricht

Zonneberg quarry

Plateau of Caestert

Quarry Kanne

Muizenberg

Château Neercanne

l'Auberge de Neercanne

Cannerberg

The Jesuit Mountain

Saint Peter's Mountain

Natuurmonumenten Visitor Centre South Limburg

Fort St. Peter's

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500 m