Tweet17-03-2010 om 10:21 by Amanda Potter

This week the annual TEFAF art show is open, but even after the event, Maastricht and Valkenburg have a unique venue of art: the Limburg Caves.  Uncommon in the Netherlands, the hilly landscape hides a wealth of marl stone which has been mined since the Roman era.  Over the centuries, large galleries of caves were carved out.  During times of war, people hid within the caves and decorated the walls for entertainment and worship.  During times of peace, tourists viewed intricate charcoal murals and carvings for their amusement.

Grotten Noord & Zonneburg (Maastricht)

Here in Maastricht, there are two cave formations that you can tour.  Grotten Noord is the smaller of the two, but it has interesting stories about the French invasion and a few large and impressive murals.  Zonneburg is much larger and cavernous, and features a small Catholic sanctuary, bakery, and ‘housing numbers’ created during World War II in case the people of the region needed to flee; which they did but only for a handful of days.  Particularly remarkable is the Salon de Musen, which depicts the Greek muses along the walls of a short corridor.

Learn more about the Maastricht caves at Maastricht Underground. Tours are mostly in Dutch, with one English and one German language tour per day they are touring.

Fluweelengrot & Gemeentegrot (Valkenburg)

Valkenburg also has two large caves similar to the ones in Maastricht.  Fluweelengrot, which I’ve only visited during their Christmas Market, has a much larger and more impressive underground cathedral and murals commissioned by the royal family (as well as the strangest looking dinosaur statues I’ve ever seen). Just around the corner is the Gemeentegrot, which you can tour by foot and by train.  This cave features several dinosaur murals and carvings throughout, as well as carvings from biblical stories.

Learn more about the Fluweelengrot and Gemeentegrot at their respective websites. Tours are all in Dutch, but English language pamphlets may be available.

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