The Meuse Valley Slope

The hilly area of the Meuse valley slope has a rich history. The protected village sites south of Maastricht show clear traces of German, French and Roman rule. Some villages are as much as 1,000 years old. Despite this, a lot of castles, mansions and church buildings have remained in good condition through proper maintenance. However, the area outside the villages goes back much further in time. Flint mines and caves in the area have been excavated as far back as 5,500 years. These flint mines lie among the forests in the hills with differences in altitude of sometimes 55 meters. Here the traces of antiquity are perhaps most clearly visible through the eroding soil layers that bring with them unusual and rare plants, shrubs and herbs. The variety of tree species on these slopes is also enormous. Oak, elm, beech, maple, acacia, chestnut, you name it. But not only the architecture and flora are giant interesting in this area. If you are quiet enough you will also come across many special fauna such as the ermine, fox, polecat, hazelworm and many dozens of species of birds. At times it looks like a veritable fairy tale forest!