14-07-2010 om 10:00 by Amanda Potter

Biking in the Maastricht Region is nothing like biking in the rest of the Netherlands. Where the North is smooth and flat, Limburg is notable for its hilly, but not difficult terrain. One of our favorite summer activities is weekend day trips to one of the many small villages in the region, and with a small amount of planning anyone can do it.

Bike paths & Knooppunten
A nation of bikers, the Netherlands has a excellent network of bike paths both in and outside cities and towns. Most roads have paths marked in red, and when they do not you can still ride with traffic along the usually generous shoulder. The bike paths often go off the main roads all together as well, allowing you to bike along the Meuse river or though other picturesque scenery.
A network of knooppunten (nodes) for biking has been laid out through the country, allowing pleasure bikers to travel from point to point along the bike paths to reach their destination instead of consulting a road map all the time. Knooppunten signs in the Maastricht region are white & green. When you reach a node, a larger sign with a map will show your location and the direction of nearby knooppunten so you can continue your journey. These signs also go into Belgium (in red and white), so if you cross the border you won’t get lost.

Bike Maps
When we go biking, I prefer to take a map with us just in case. Although there are certainly many out there, I’ve been very happy with the Fietskaart met Knooppunten by Falk. It is a full color map with both bike and vehicle roads laid out clearly, plus a few suggested routes and sites. Map #3 (of 12) covers the Dutch Limburg area (with a bit from boarding countries). ANWB also offers an excellent map for bikers (#19 & #20 cover Limburg).

You can purchase maps and biking guides at the VVV, ANWB, some bike shops, and bookstores. I’ve found that most resources are in Dutch only, so for those with minimal Dutch skills, a simple map is probably the easiest to handle.

Fietsen on the Web
There are many resources online for discovering new bike paths and routes in the region. Here are a few to get you started:
- ANWB Fiets (Dutch)
- Fietspad.nl (Dutch)
- Fiets en Wandelweb (Dutch)

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