Route: Hague - Thorn - Kasteel Groot Buggenum - Valkenburg - Castle Ruins - Velvet Cave - Maastricht - Hague
Duration: 12 h
Our first stop in this tour will be at the little town of Thorn is located in the south of Holland in the province of Limburg. It used to be a tiny principality which is known for its old white houses and monumental buildings. Thorn came into being when the monastery Kasteel Groot Buggenum for noblewomen was established here in around 990. It developed into a small principality. It was granted town privileges only three centuries later, after which a partial town wall was built. Many of the women’s old residences still exist and can be visited today. When, towards the end of the 18th century, the noblewomen fled Thorn to evade the French, a great number of poor people came to live in the town. The French calculated taxes based on the dimensions of the windows of houses. Because the poor couldn’t pay the taxes, they made their windows smaller by bricking them up. The houses were then painted white to hide the difference between the old and new bricks. Also you must see the Abdijkerk Thorn (monastery church). Our next stop will be at Valkenburg aan de Geul is a small community which has been a regular magnet for tourists for ages. People come here to discover the mines and caves with paintings, which date back to the days of the Romans and another attraction is Valkenburg Castle. The rich history of the Middle Ages lives again with a visit to the Castle Ruins in Valkenburg aan de Geul, and its history dating back to the 11th century! Towers jut skyward from the ruins of the once so imposing castle, the Netherlands’ only hilltop castle, looking out over the little fortress town below. Visiting these historic remains of Valkenburg Castle, you can wander from the Great Hall to the defensive towers, from the dungeon to the old chapel, and from the artillery room to the subterranean escape passages to the Velvet Cave. Relive the stirring history of the many sieges, destructions and dominions of knights such as Walram de Rosse, Gosewijn, and the Dukes of Brabant, until the final destruction of the castle on 10 December 1672 at the hands of Stadtholder Willem III.The remains of the castle ruins have stood as a quiet reminder of the proud fortress here at this prominent place in the Geul Valley ever since. The Velvet Cave has proceeded from marlproduction. As a result of the works of the so called ‘blokbrekers’, alongside the ‘Daalhemerstreet’ an extensive labyrinth of ancient and capricious passages developed, later on decorated by a number of mural paintings, statues and sculptures. The cave is directly connected to the history of the medieval Valkenburg, and the history of the castle in particular. After so many centuries the escape-passages of the knights of the castle are still accessible. A walk through the corridors conjours up images of the age of chivalry: the days that the lords of the castle explored the secret exits. Also in later periodsthe cave made history. Our next stop will be at the city Maastricht which is located in the southeast of the Netherlands, on both sides of the Meuse River, and is one of the oldest cities in the region, and is rich in history and cultural importance. The name of the city is actually derived from the Latin and essentially means “crossing at the Meuse” in reference to the bridge that was built by the Romans during the 1st century AD, during the reign of Claudius Caesar. Today a bridge still connects the two parts of the city on either side of the river. The city has had a truly multicultural influence throughout its history, and as a result has many different languages spoken there throughout time. While the city has undergone some tremendous changes throughout the years, many of the historical landmarks are still present and are a major part of the tourist attractions and economy. During our tour you will see City Hall of Maastricht, Helmstraat Count the Maastricht Flags, Plaza Vrijthof,Theater aan het Vrijthof, Sint Janskerk Discover St.John's church, Basilica of St. Servatius, Maastricht University, Huys Op Den Jeker, Conservatorium Maastricht, Zuyd Hogeschool Stroll by the academy of music, Helpoort See Hell's Gate, Centre Ceramique , Bosch Brewery , Saint Servaasbridge, Drukkunstmuseum. After we will return to Hague.
Price: Per person
Duration: 12 h
Our first stop in this tour will be at the little town of Thorn is located in the south of Holland in the province of Limburg. It used to be a tiny principality which is known for its old white houses and monumental buildings. Thorn came into being when the monastery Kasteel Groot Buggenum for noblewomen was established here in around 990. It developed into a small principality. It was granted town privileges only three centuries later, after which a partial town wall was built. Many of the women’s old residences still exist and can be visited today. When, towards the end of the 18th century, the noblewomen fled Thorn to evade the French, a great number of poor people came to live in the town. The French calculated taxes based on the dimensions of the windows of houses. Because the poor couldn’t pay the taxes, they made their windows smaller by bricking them up. The houses were then painted white to hide the difference between the old and new bricks. Also you must see the Abdijkerk Thorn (monastery church). Our next stop will be at Valkenburg aan de Geul is a small community which has been a regular magnet for tourists for ages. People come here to discover the mines and caves with paintings, which date back to the days of the Romans and another attraction is Valkenburg Castle. The rich history of the Middle Ages lives again with a visit to the Castle Ruins in Valkenburg aan de Geul, and its history dating back to the 11th century! Towers jut skyward from the ruins of the once so imposing castle, the Netherlands’ only hilltop castle, looking out over the little fortress town below. Visiting these historic remains of Valkenburg Castle, you can wander from the Great Hall to the defensive towers, from the dungeon to the old chapel, and from the artillery room to the subterranean escape passages to the Velvet Cave. Relive the stirring history of the many sieges, destructions and dominions of knights such as Walram de Rosse, Gosewijn, and the Dukes of Brabant, until the final destruction of the castle on 10 December 1672 at the hands of Stadtholder Willem III.The remains of the castle ruins have stood as a quiet reminder of the proud fortress here at this prominent place in the Geul Valley ever since. The Velvet Cave has proceeded from marlproduction. As a result of the works of the so called ‘blokbrekers’, alongside the ‘Daalhemerstreet’ an extensive labyrinth of ancient and capricious passages developed, later on decorated by a number of mural paintings, statues and sculptures. The cave is directly connected to the history of the medieval Valkenburg, and the history of the castle in particular. After so many centuries the escape-passages of the knights of the castle are still accessible. A walk through the corridors conjours up images of the age of chivalry: the days that the lords of the castle explored the secret exits. Also in later periodsthe cave made history. Our next stop will be at the city Maastricht which is located in the southeast of the Netherlands, on both sides of the Meuse River, and is one of the oldest cities in the region, and is rich in history and cultural importance. The name of the city is actually derived from the Latin and essentially means “crossing at the Meuse” in reference to the bridge that was built by the Romans during the 1st century AD, during the reign of Claudius Caesar. Today a bridge still connects the two parts of the city on either side of the river. The city has had a truly multicultural influence throughout its history, and as a result has many different languages spoken there throughout time. While the city has undergone some tremendous changes throughout the years, many of the historical landmarks are still present and are a major part of the tourist attractions and economy. During our tour you will see City Hall of Maastricht, Helmstraat Count the Maastricht Flags, Plaza Vrijthof,Theater aan het Vrijthof, Sint Janskerk Discover St.John's church, Basilica of St. Servatius, Maastricht University, Huys Op Den Jeker, Conservatorium Maastricht, Zuyd Hogeschool Stroll by the academy of music, Helpoort See Hell's Gate, Centre Ceramique , Bosch Brewery , Saint Servaasbridge, Drukkunstmuseum. After we will return to Hague.
Price: Per person
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