Hiking in South Limburg: the Best Walking Routes, Areas and Multi-day Hikes

Nowhere else in the Netherlands do you climb a few hundred metres a day, walk through sunken lanes, along graften (terrace edges on the slopes) and through wooded hillsides. The landscape is small-scale and varied: half-timbered houses, orchards, winding streams and views that are often compared with the Ardennes. At the same time, the borders with Belgium and Germany are only a few steps away, which gives the routes extra character. If you are planning a walking holiday in the Netherlands and really want to climb, this is the only place in the country to do it.

The walking routes in South Limburg range from short loops of five to six kilometres to station-to-station walks of 16.5 and 23 kilometres. Below are eight of the finest walks in the region, each with its starting point, waymarking and highlights. You can find the route descriptions and GPX files at Natuurmonumenten, Visit Zuid-Limburg and NS (Dutch Railways).

Through the Geul valley near Epen (6 km)

Distance: 6 km · Start: Epen · Waymarking: no posts in the field, download the route from Natuurmonumenten

Walking in Epen means walking along the lifeline of the Geul valley. This route by the nature conservation organisation Natuurmonumenten takes you through hay meadows, past hedges, sunken lanes and half-timbered houses and over the slopes. The base of the church in Epen is built from Carboniferous sandstone, some 300 million years old; the Geul valley is the only place in the Netherlands where this rock reaches the surface. With a bit of luck you will spot a hazel dormouse in the hedges, a rare species that in the Netherlands only lives in this part of Limburg.

Vijlenerbos route near Vijlen (5.7 km)

Distance: 5.7 km · Start: car park by the forest café in the Vijlenerbos · Waymarking: green Staatsbosbeheer posts

At around 650 hectares, the Vijlenerbos is the most elongated woodland in the Netherlands. The route has considerable height differences, and after every steep climb you look out over the Geul valley. A short route for anyone who wants to practise the Limburg climbs, and good preparation for a longer multi-day hike.

Vaalserberg and the Three-Country Point (5.1 km)

Distance: 5.1 km · Start: Drielandenpunt on the Vaalserberg (322 m) · Waymarking: signposted via walking junctions

The Drielandenpunt, or Three-Country Point, on the Vaalserberg is the highest point of the European part of the Netherlands, at 322 metres. This is where the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany meet. The route runs from here to the Vijlenerbos and back, passing the Wilhelmina Tower for an extra view over three countries. A short route with plenty of views.

Around the Gulperberg in Gulpen (6.1 km)

Distance: 6.1 km · Start: village centre of Gulpen · Waymarking: signposted via walking junctions

Walking around Gulpen is all about the Gulperberg, with fine views over the rolling landscape. The route starts and ends in the village centre of Gulpen and runs over and around the hill. In the village you will find the Neubourgermolen mill and the Gulpener brewery. A handy route if you are staying in Gulpen and want to stretch your legs for a morning.

Castle walk in Valkenburg (8 km)

Distance: 8 km · Start: Bogaardlaan in Valkenburg · Waymarking: route description from Visit Zuid-Limburg

Hiking in Valkenburg along the Geul takes you past two castles. Kasteel Schaloen has a moat, a historic water mill and a castle garden. A little further on lies Kasteel Oost. The route combines the Geul, the rolling hills and cultural history; afterwards you are only a few minutes from a terrace in Valkenburg.

Sint-Pietersberg circular walk (10.8 km)

Distance: 10.8 km (shorter green route approx. 5 km) · Start: Oog van Sint Pieter car park · Waymarking: red triangles

Walking on the Sint-Pietersberg takes you past Fort Sint Pieter, over chalk grassland rich in butterflies and along the edge of the former ENCI quarry. Eagle owls have bred in the quarry wall since 1998. The long version of 10.8 km also takes you past the Duivelsgrot cave and a viewpoint over the Maas valley; the shorter route of five kilometres is a good warm-up.

From Maastricht station to Valkenburg (16.5 km)

Distance: 16.5 km · Start: Maastricht station · Waymarking: route description and GPX from NS

This NS route links two stations via the hills and the Geul valley. From Maastricht you walk along the Groene Loper into the hills, pass the Curfsgroeve quarry and descend through the Geul valley to Valkenburg. If you like, you can walk another four kilometres to Schin op Geul station. A logistically easy route: you leave the car at home and take the train at both ends.

Through the Savelsbos from Maastricht to Eijsden (23 km)

Distance: 23 km · Start: Maastricht station · Waymarking: route description and GPX from NS

The longest day walk on this list leads through the old Savelsbos woods, with tall trees, sunken lanes, marl quarries and fruit orchards. Parts of the Pieterpad run along here too. After rain the paths are very muddy and slippery, so shoes with a good tread are no luxury. The walk ends at Eijsden station.

South Limburg consists of a series of valleys and plateaus, each with its own character. Three areas stand out if you want to explore the walking routes in South Limburg.

Walking in the Geul valley and around Epen

The Geul is the lifeline of the valley. For centuries the river carried down the loam that was used to build the half-timbered houses in the villages. The chalky soil and the southern position mean that plants and animals live here that you find nowhere else in the Netherlands, such as the hazel dormouse. The beaver has returned too. Walking in the Geul valley is a lesson in landscape history, with Natuurmonumenten managing a large part of the area. On the Intermediate Dutch Mountain Trail, the stage from Vijlen to Mechelen passes viewpoints over the Geul valley and the Holsetterbos woods.

Vijlenerbos, Vaalserberg and the Three-Country Point

Vijlen is known as the mountain village of the Netherlands. Several short waymarked walks start around the village, such as the Vijlenerbos route. Woodland, the Vaalserberg and the Three-Country Point are all close together here. If you want to cross the region on foot over several days, you can book the Intermediate Dutch Mountain Trail: day 2 ends in Vijlen and day 3 climbs over the Vaalserberg to Mechelen.

Walking around Gulpen and Slenaken

The Gulp valley between Gulpen and Slenaken is a quiet walking area. Walking around Slenaken means walking right on the Belgian border, with the Loorberg and the Kruisbosch woods above the village. Just across the border, in the Voerstreek, lies 's-Gravenvoeren, where the Intermediate Dutch Mountain Trail stays overnight. To walk this corner over several days, take the Advanced Dutch Mountain Trail, with an overnight stay in Gulpen as a halfway rest stop.

Marl defines the character of the south-west of South Limburg. Centuries of quarrying have left caves, quarries and cliffs that give the walking landscape here a character of its own.

Hiking in Valkenburg

Valkenburg is the historic spa town on the Geul, with marl caves, castles and terraces. Hiking in Valkenburg takes you over the boardwalk through the Ingendael nature area, past the prehistoric flint mines and to the marl caves and cliffs near Bemelen. The Gerendal between Schin op Geul and Valkenburg is a 12.1 km NS route that is especially colourful in spring thanks to the orchid garden, open from 1 May to 16 June. If you want to combine three walking days in this part of the Heuvelland with a comfortable hotel, take a look at the Best of Pieterpad South, with a night in Valkenburg after the 24.4 km stage from Sittard to Valkenburg.

Hiking on the Sint-Pietersberg

Marl was quarried here for centuries. Fort Sint Pieter recalls the military history of the hill. The lake in the former ENCI quarry has a striking turquoise colour (swimming is not allowed) and gives the walk a surreal edge. Eagle owls have bred in the quarry wall since 1998. Through the Jeker valley you walk straight into the city. The Pieterpad officially ends here, on the Sint-Pietersberg.

South Limburg has almost 2,000 kilometres of connected footpaths in the Knopen Lopen junction network. You use it to build your own loop by following the numbered junctions from a village of your choice. Many villages and woodland edges also have fixed waymarked loops with coloured posts, so you can choose on the spot. Station-to-station walks are especially handy in this region: Maastricht, Valkenburg, Schin op Geul, Eijsden and Heerlen all have a railway station, and buses connect the smaller villages. Bear in mind that ten kilometres in the Heuvelland take longer than on flat terrain. On the NS and Natuurmonumenten routes dogs are welcome on a lead. For an overview of the other walking regions in the country, see our guide to a walking holiday in the Netherlands.

To really experience hiking in South Limburg, plan several days. From hotel to hotel, with a new village every evening and a new stage every morning. Two long-distance routes form the basis.

The Dutch Mountain Trail

The Dutch Mountain Trail runs just over a hundred kilometres from Eygelshoven to Maastricht, partly through the Belgian Voerstreek and over seven summits of South Limburg. It is considered the toughest long-distance walk in the Netherlands. Bookatrekking offers the trail in two versions: the Intermediate in seven days with five walking days and 107.7 km in total, and the Advanced Dutch Mountain Trail in six days with four walking days and 101.6 km.

The Pieterpad through South Limburg

The Pieterpad (LAW 9, white-and-red waymarks) runs around 498 km from Pieterburen in Groningen to the Sint-Pietersberg near Maastricht. Our Best of Pieterpad South package covers the southernmost part: Montfort to Sittard 23 km, Sittard to Valkenburg 24.4 km, Valkenburg to the Sint-Pietersberg 15.4 km. In total that is 62.8 km and 450 metres of ascent, including luggage transport from hotel to hotel.

The routes are not technically difficult, but the metres of ascent add up. On the Intermediate Dutch Mountain Trail you cover an average of 21.5 km per walking day with an average of 344 metres of ascent. The Advanced is tougher: an average of 25.4 km a day and 405 metres of ascent, with the hardest day being the 25 km stage from Gulpen to Noorbeek with 590 metres of ascent. The Pieterpad through South Limburg is lighter, with around 150 metres of ascent per day. What all routes have in common: short steep climbs, steps and paths that become slippery after rain. Sturdy walking shoes with a good tread are strongly recommended; poles are a welcome extra on the descents.

Spring and autumn are the most pleasant seasons for hiking in South Limburg. In spring the orchards are in blossom and the orchid garden in the Gerendal is open from 1 May to 16 June. Our Dutch Mountain Trail is labelled a spring and autumn route in our route data; in autumn the wooded slopes change colour. In summer it is busier around Valkenburg and the Geul valley. In winter the days are short and clay slopes and sunken lanes quickly become very slippery. Our calendar shows departure dates all year round; whether your date is available, you can see on the trip page.

On the Bookatrekking packages you sleep in hotels, inns and guesthouses in the villages, in private rooms and with your own bathroom where possible. The night before the first walking day and the night after the last are included, so you start rested and finish relaxed. Breakfast is included where the accommodation offers it. You arrange lunch and dinner yourself along the way, in the villages and restaurants on the route. On the Best of Pieterpad South your luggage is moved from hotel to hotel. On the Dutch Mountain Trail you carry your own rucksack. Not included: travel to the start and from the end, local transport along the way and travel insurance. We pay the tourist tax in advance where possible; sometimes you pay it locally.

Prices as of October 2026, per person based on two travellers.

Are you new to multi-day hikes, or do you want to be sure you can handle the distances? Then choose the Best of Pieterpad South, with flatter stages and luggage transport. Experienced walkers who want to climb all seven summits choose the Intermediate or Advanced Dutch Mountain Trail. Every package includes the Bookatrekking app, with route descriptions, maps, offline GPS with your own location, elevation profile and GPX files for every part of the route.

Do you also enjoy hill walking across the border? Then hiking in the Ardennes, hiking in the Eifel or hiking in Luxembourg is a logical next step. And for trails further afield, see our overview of walking holidays in Europe.