South Limburg (

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

: ''Zuid-Limburg'',

Limburgish Limburgish ( li, Limburgs or ; nl, Limburgs ; german: Limburgisch ; french: Limbourgeois ), also called Limburgan, Limburgian, or Limburgic, is a West Germanic language spoken in the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg and in the neig ...

: ''Zuud-Limburg'') is both a COROP (statistical) region as well as a '' landstreek'' (area) of the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

located in the province of Limburg. The Dutch term ''landstreek'', literally translated "land area/region", means that the area is not an administrative region but an area that displays cohesion with regard to

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups ...

and

landscape A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the ...

. With regards to South Limburg this deals with its hilly landscape, especially in the

Heuvelland Heuvelland () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the villages of Dranouter, Kemmel, De Klijte, Loker, Nieuwkerke, Westouter, Wijtschate and Wulvergem. Heuvelland is a thinly populat ...

region, sunken lanes, an abundance of

castles A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified ...

, and the

regional language * A regional language is a language spoken in a region of a sovereign state, whether it be a small area, a federated state or province or some wider area. Internationally, for the purposes of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Lan ...

spoken by a significant part of the population alongside Dutch. The region also contains the highest point above sea level in mainland Netherlands, the Vaalserberg being above sea level (the highest point of the entire country is in the

Caribbean Netherlands ) , image_map = BES islands location map.svg , map_caption = Location of the Caribbean Netherlands (green and circled). From left to right: Bonaire, Saba, and Sint Eustatius , elevation_max_m = 887 , elevation_max_footnotes = , demographic ...

' island of Saba, namely Mount Scenery being above sea level). The region South Limburg in addition, although extended a little further north to

Roermond Roermond (; li, Remunj or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. Roermond is a historically important town on the lower Roer on the east bank of the river Meuse. It received town rights in 1231. Ro ...

, forms a constituent part of the

Euroregion In European politics, the term Euroregion usually refers to a transnational co-operation structure between two (or more) contiguous territories located in different European countries. Euroregions represent a specific type of cross-border region. ...

Meuse-Rhine.

''Estate region'' Maastricht-Meerssen

The estate region Maastricht-Meerssen (Dutch: ''Landgoederenzone Maastricht - Meerssen'') is the name for an area stretching from the northeastern parts of Maastricht to the south of Meerssen that is characterised by a large number of

estates Estate or The Estate may refer to: Law * Estate (law), a term in common law for a person's property, entitlements and obligations * Estates of the realm, a broad social category in the histories of certain countries. ** The Estates, representati ...

. The area is crossed by three rivers (namely the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...

Geul , french: la Gueule , image = Geul river valley in Plombières, Belgium 100 0278.jpg , image_caption = The Geul valley in Plombières, Belgium , source1_location = near Lichtenbusch , mouth_location = Meuse near Bunde , m ...

and Kanjel). A majority of said estates have been built (or renovated) by the 19th century Maastrichtian industrialist

Petrus Regout Petrus may refer to: People * Petrus (given name) * Petrus (surname) * Petrus Borel, pen name of Joseph-Pierre Borel d'Hauterive (1809–1859), French Romantic writer * Petrus Brovka, pen name of Pyotr Ustinovich Brovka (1905–1980), Soviet Belar ...

and his descendants. Challenges to transforming the entire region into a recreational area are posed by the crossing of the A2 motorway and various railways through the area as well as the industrial area of Beatrixhaven. The region spans six neighbourhoods of Maastricht namely: * Amby: homestead ''Withuishof'', homestead ''Gravenhof'', house ''Severen'', homestead ''Hagenhof'' (or ''Tiendschuur van Amby'') and castle ''Geuselt'' *

Nazareth Nazareth ( ; ar, النَّاصِرَة, ''an-Nāṣira''; he, נָצְרַת, ''Nāṣəraṯ''; arc, ܢܨܪܬ, ''Naṣrath'') is the largest city in the Northern District of Israel. Nazareth is known as "the Arab capital of Israel". In ...

: castle ''Mariënwaard'' (''La Grande Suisse''), villa ''Petite Suisse'' and villa ''Kruisdonk'' * Limmel: castles ''Bethlehem'' and ''Jerusalem'' * Meerssenhoven: castles ''Vaeeshartelt'' and ''Meerssenhoven'' and villa ''Klein Vaeshartelt'' * Itteren*: homestead ''Hartelstein'' * Borgharen*: Borgharen castle and homestead ''Wiegershof'' (* some publications do not include Itteren and Borgharen in the estate region) And in

Meerssen Meerssen (; li, Meersje ) is a town and a municipality in southeastern Netherlands. History The Treaty of Meerssen was signed in Meerssen in 870. The Treaty of Meerssen was an agreement of the division of the Carolingian Empire by the surviving ...

: *

Weert Weert (; li, Wieërt ) is a municipality and city in the southeastern Netherlands located in the western part of the province of Limburg. It lies on the Eindhoven–Maastricht railway line, and is also astride the Zuid-Willemsvaart canal. Pop ...

: homestead ''Weerterhof'' and villa ''Zonnevang'' * Rothem: mill ''IJzeren Molen''

Municipalities

The South Limburg contains 18 administrative municipalities (''gemeenten''):

Cities

Impressions of South Limburg

File:Holleweg.jpg, A sunken lane near Cadier en Keer File:RoeëzekapelKeer.jpg, Chapel near Cadier en Keer File:Eys.jpg, Town of

Eys Eys (; li, Ees ) is a village in the municipality of Gulpen-Wittem, Limburg, the Netherlands. The town is located 3 km. from Gulpen and 17 km. from provincial capital Maastricht. Furthermore, it is characterised by its location in th ...

File:Rotswoning2.JPG, "Rock house" near Geulhem File:Gulpecentrum.JPG, Town of

Gulpen Gulpen (; li, Gullepe ) is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is approximately midway between the Dutch city of Maastricht and the German city of Aachen. Gulpen was a separate municipality until 1999, when it merged with Wittem. The ...

File:Omgeving Gulpen-Slenaken, heuvellandschap 2006-06-24 18.09.JPG, Hilly landscape between Gulpen and

Slenaken Slenaken ( Limburgish: ''Sjlennich'') is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. Slenaken was a separate municipality until 1982, when it was merged with Wittem. History On a bank of the River Gulp, just to the south of Slenaken, is the ...

File:Maastricht 2008 OLV Wall.jpg, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-Embankment,

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

File:Vakgevelnoorbeekwikied.JPG,

Timber framed Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden ...

house in Noorbeek File:Sibbe-Suubberhuuske2.jpg, 't Sibberhuuske, Sibbe File:Kasteel Vaeshartelt.jpg, ''Estate region'': Vaeshartelt Castle,

File:Meerssenhoven-004.jpg, ''Estate region'': Meerssenhoven File:HoesKruusdonkwkped07.JPG, ''Estate region'': Villa Kruisdonk File:Kasteel Bethlehem.jpg, ''Estate region'': Bethlehem Castle File:Kasteel Jerusalem 002.jpg, ''Estate region'': Jerusalem Castle File:Severen-002.jpg, ''Estate region'': Villa Severen File:Severen-001.jpg, ''Estate region'': Homestead Severen

External links

Vision on the future of the estate region (Dutch)The Regout estates (English)
{{coord missing, Netherlands Regions of Limburg (Netherlands) Regions of the Netherlands

''Estate region'' Maastricht-Meerssen

Municipalities

Cities

Impressions of South Limburg

See also

External links