South Limburg ( Dutch: ''Zuid-Limburg'',

Limburgish Limburgish ( or ; ; also Limburgian, Limburgic or Limburgan) refers to a group of South Low Franconian Variety (linguistics), varieties spoken in Belgium and the Netherlands, characterized by their distance to, and limited participation ...

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

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

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 a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

and

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

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

sunken lane A sunken lane (also hollow way or holloway) is a road or track that is significantly lower than the land on either side, not formed by the (recent) engineering of a road cutting but possibly of much greater age. Holloways may have been formed i ...

s, 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 usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble. This i ...

, 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 La ...

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 The Vaalserberg (; ) is a hill with a height of above Amsterdam Ordnance Datum, NAP and is the highest point in the Netherlands#Geography, European part of the Netherlands. The Vaalserberg is located in the province of Limburg (Netherlands), ...

being above sea level (the highest point of the entire country is in the

Caribbean Netherlands The Caribbean Netherlands (, ) is a geographic region of the Netherlands located outside of Europe, in the Caribbean, consisting of three special municipalities. These are the islands of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, and Saba (island), Saba,"Bonair ...

' island of

Saba Saba may refer to: Places * Saba (island), an island of the Netherlands located in the Caribbean Sea * Sabá, a municipality in the department of Colón, Honduras * Șaba or Șaba-Târg, the Romanian name for Shabo, a village in Ukraine * Saba, ...

, namely

Mount Scenery Mount Scenery (pronounced like the word 'scenery') is a dormant volcano in the Caribbean Netherlands. Its lava dome forms the summit of the Saba island stratovolcano. At an elevation of , it is the highest point in both the Kingdom of the Nether ...

being above sea level). The region South Limburg in addition, although extended a little further north to

Roermond Roermond (; or ) is a city, municipality, and diocese in the Limburg (Netherlands), 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 City rights i ...

, 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 regio ...

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. The area is crossed by three rivers (namely the

Meuse The Meuse or Maas 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 total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

, Geul 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 is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...

: 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: *

Weert Weert (; ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and city in the southeastern Netherlands located in the western part of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. It lies on the Eindhoven–Maas ...

: 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 File:Rotswoning2.JPG, "Rock house" near Geulhem File:Gulpecentrum.JPG, Town of Gulpen File:Omgeving Gulpen-Slenaken, heuvellandschap 2006-06-24 18.09.JPG, Hilly landscape between Gulpen and Slenaken File:Maastricht 2008 OLV Wall.jpg, Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-Embankment,

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; ; ; ) is a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital city, capital and largest city of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg. Maastricht is loca ...

File:Vakgevelnoorbeekwikied.JPG, Timber framed house in Noorbeek File:Sibbe-Suubberhuuske2.jpg, 't Sibberhuuske, Sibbe File:Kasteel Vaeshartelt.jpg, ''Estate region'': Vaeshartelt Castle, Meerssen 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