Everyone is welcome at Klooster Wittem. This pilgrimage site offers an opportunity for peace, prayer and reflection. On a guided tour, you can discover the monastery church and chapels, the old refectory, the monastery library, the crypt and the monastery garden, among other places. Before you arrive, check the monastery’s visitor information and confirm the availability of a tour there.
Art and culture in Wijlre
Kunst- en Verzamelhuis Wijlre has 20 museum rooms featuring snapshots of life from 1870 to 1970, as well as art by Tineke van Dien. Buitenplaats Kasteel Wijlre offers a different focus: it brings together contemporary art, architecture, cultural heritage and nature. Visitors can walk along the moat and admire modern sculptures amid lush greenery. Each year, Buitenplaats presents an international program of exhibitions and public activities. If you want to see a particular exhibition, check the current program before your visit.
Hikes through landscapes and memories
Gulpen-Wittem has 330 kilometers of hiking trails, with 62 recreational walks of varying lengths. There are also themed walks that incorporate art, history and culture along the way. Route information may be updated, so check the latest details before planning a trip.
Two hikes of 10 and 12 kilometers pass 19 memorials. Audio recordings tell the stories of the monuments and events of the Second World War. The Kasteel en klooster van Wittem route offers another blend of culture and landscape. It starts at the Redemptorist monastery in Wittem, which also has a special library, passes Kasteel Wittem, and continues through fields, along forest edges and over gentle hills.
In Eys, a 3.7-kilometer hiking route focuses on chalk, marl and limestone. It is also shorter than the two hikes to the memorials. The Tussen Eys en Nijswiller route combines some steep climbs with panoramic views and vineyard landscapes. A very different event is the recurring Nacht van Gulpen: a 70-kilometer hiking event held over one night. Check the calendar for upcoming dates.
Cycling
Gulpen-Wittem is connected to the Fietsroutenetwerk Limburg. The numbered junction system lets you create your own cycling routes. Three signposted mountain bike routes, each 25 kilometers long, also wind through the hilly landscape. Signage, junctions and route markings may change; check the latest information for your planned route in advance.
Breweries and regional specialties
Brewery tours and other packages start at the Brand Proeflokaal in Wijlre. Beer, savory snacks, coffee and Limburgse vlaai are available there; the food and drink menu may change. The Brand beer tour includes the Brand Museum, the copper brewing kettles, information about the ingredients and brewing process, and a tasting of a Brand specialty beer. Confirm the tour details and availability directly with the provider.
The Gulpener brewery also includes a tasting in its tour: it features a blind tasting. The vintage beer tasting takes place in the vaulted cellars, where beers from the Netherlands and abroad are presented. Gulpener BrouwLokaal also has vaulted cellars, with more than 100 beer styles from around the world, and offers the chance to brew your own beer in a microbrewery. For this BrouwLokaal, all ingredients come from within a 40-kilometer radius of the brewery. Sourcing practices may change; confirm tours and packages with the relevant providers as well.
Wine route around Eys and Wahlwiller
The Route des Vins Wahlwiller-Eys is an approximately 10-kilometer wine route around Eys and Wahlwiller. It passes five vineyards and offers insights into the wines of South Limburg along the way. The route connects two villages and their vineyards, with insights into local winegrowing—an alternative way to explore the area compared with hikes focused on culture and remembrance.
Discover more destinations: Epen, Gulpen, Reijmerstok, Mechelen, Wijlre, Slenaken, Heijenrath, Wittem, Eys, Elkenrade.
For the regional travel overview: Limburg.
