Gulpen combines hiking trails in the hilly South Limburg countryside with art in the town centre, architectural history and brewery culture. The Gulp Route passes hop fields and offers views of the Heuvelland; another route focuses on public art. Other highlights include the tower of the old St Peter’s Church, the Neo-Romanesque St Peter’s Church and experiences centred on Gulpener beer. During your stay, you can choose how to balance the countryside, local history and food and drink.
Hiking and countryside around Gulpen
The Gulp Route starts below the Gulperberg, follows the Gulp, passes Kasteel Neubourg and heads towards Euverem. Hop fields line the route, which also offers views of the Heuvelland. Today’s Kasteel Neubourg, in the municipality of Gulpen-Wittem, dates from the period after 1288.
Another hiking option is the “Wandelroute Gulperberg Gulpen” route. It goes over and around the Gulperberg and follows hiking junctions. The Gulperberg Route offers views from the Mariamonument across the valleys of the Geul and the Gulp, which meet in Gulpen. The Gulperberg is home to a concrete Mariamonument dating from 1935, created by sculptor Charles Vos and architect Piet Gerrits.
The routes have different focuses: the Gulp Route highlights its course along the Gulp, hop fields and views of the Heuvelland, while the Gulperberg Route focuses on the hill and the river valleys. This lets you experience the countryside from different perspectives, without assuming a particular route length.
Art and architectural history in the town centre
The “Kuieren langs kunst in Gulpen” route takes you through the town centre and showcases public art. This includes façade stones, murals, statues and fountains. If you’d like to discover art as part of everyday life in a town, this offers a different focus from the hiking trails around the Gulperberg: the route draws attention to a variety of works in the centre.
The tower of the old St Peter’s Church stands in the walled churchyard in the centre of Gulpen. It dates from the 11th to 13th centuries and includes later additions. The church of St Peter in Gulpen was built in 1924 in the Neo-Romanesque style, to a design by Caspar Franssen, an architect from Roermond. It is centrally located in an open, square-like setting and is significant for its cultural and architectural history, including in connection with Franssen’s work.
Market, hiking event and team puzzles
According to the municipality’s current events page, the Hubertusmarkt is held annually; its first edition in Gulpen took place in 1544. The market includes children’s activities, a Cittaslowplein and around 150 stalls. This approximate number gives an idea of the market’s variety, without assuming a particular itinerary for your visit.
The Nacht van Gulpen is also held annually: it is a sporting hiking challenge through the hilly South Limburg countryside, attracting hundreds of walkers. If the event is a key factor in planning your visit, check the date in advance. For a different kind of experience, Rocca’s ENIGMA escape-room activity extends into the countryside around Gulpen. Teams solve puzzles together and complete challenges against the clock.
Brewery tour and Gulpener beer
A tour of the Gulpener Bierbrouwerij includes a brewery walk-through, a tasting of fresh, unfiltered beer and a blind tasting of three Gulpener speciality beers. The experience combines an introduction to the brewery with two different tasting sessions. The Gulpener Brouwlokaal also offers a High Beer experience, an Eetcafé and a beer garden serving speciality beer. If beer is one of your interests, you can choose between a tour with tastings and the offerings at the Brouwlokaal.
Discover more destinations: Wijlre, Slenaken, Reijmerstok, Wittem, Elkenrade, Epen, Heijenrath, Eys.
For the main travel overview: Gulpen-Wittem.
