When planning a trip to Baexem, the village’s architectural and local history, along with two routes of different lengths, stand out. Historical highlights include Kasteel Baexem, the Auroramolen and archaeological traces near the former De Borg castle. If you choose Baexem as your destination, you can weigh up historical discoveries against a walk or bike ride.
Kasteel Baexem and the traces of De Borg
Kasteel Baexem is a U-shaped castle dating from 1676. It may have been built to replace the former De Borg castle, which lies 400 metres to the southeast. The village’s history goes back further, however: a signet ring dating from before 1293, belonging to the knight Lenvalus van Baexem, was found at Kasteel Baexem. Excavations also revealed that the former Kasteel Baexem consisted of a large keep. Its foundations lie beneath the eastern end of the present building.
There are archaeological traces at Baronsberg, too: burial mounds, burial grounds and settlement remains have been found at the site of the vanished De Borg castle. Baronsberg itself is a viewpoint in the park of nearby Kasteel Baexem. These place references make clear that the name De Borg is associated both with a former castle complex and with finds in the landscape.
Buildings, mills and monastic history
Huize De Brias can be described by its architecture: the rectangular brick building has pilasters and a hipped roof, and bears the anchor date 1717. Pilasters are flat, wall-attached column-like features. A hipped roof has sloping surfaces on the gable ends as well. The property also includes a rectangular moat dating from the 18th century, whose main structure is still intact.
The former Exaten monastery is a complex of several monastic buildings and a monastery chapel. Its buildings have cultural-historical value as a distinctive expression of cultural, spiritual and typological development. Exaten has been a Rijksmonument, a national heritage site, since 6 November 2001. The monastery’s history therefore offers a different perspective on Baexem from its castle and fortress traces: the focus here is on the buildings and their religious and typological significance.
Another prominent historical feature is the Auroramolen. It is a standerdmolen, a type of post mill considered the oldest type of windmill in the Netherlands. Its history dates back to around 1520. Keep the approximate date as such: it provides a time reference, not an exact year of construction.
A walk or a longer cycling loop
The 6.2-kilometre Knopenlopen Baexem walking route passes through Baexem and the surrounding area. It starts at the Knopen-Lopen sign on Lindelaan, near the car park of De Oude Smids restaurant. For planning purposes, this route can be compared with the longer Leudal Zuid cycling loop: it is 41.3 kilometres long and passes through Nunhem, Neer, Buggenum, Haelen, Horn, Grathem and Baexem. The stated distances and different ways of getting around can help you choose the route that best suits the length of trip you have in mind.
Parks, memorial sites and present-day use
Klockenberg Park is located on the site of Baexem’s former 13th-century Romanesque church. The church was destroyed by the occupying forces in November 1944. In 1878, a German monk from nearby Exaten founded a Marian grotto on the slope of Baronsberg. The viewpoint, grotto and archaeological finds at De Borg each represent different chapters in the history of Baexem and its surroundings.
The Donald Barret memorial commemorates Donald Barret and all other British soldiers. Every year on King’s Day, the Sint Jan shooting guild lays flowers there. If you are planning to visit on King’s Day, check locally whether the flower-laying will take place. The date is also important for the Johannes de Doper Church: it ceased to be used for worship effective 1 January 2025; at the time, work was under way to find a suitable new use. Before visiting, check the building’s current use and accessibility.
Former transport routes
Transport history is also part of the village’s character. The tramway in Baexem was once part of the Deurne–Roermond tram line, operated in Limburg by De Limburgse Tramweg Maatschappij. Local history connects the former Baexem railway station site with a station building erected in 1879. Travellers waited there for the signal that steam trains were approaching. These two chapters in transport history add to the architectural and cultural heritage by showing how travel and transport worked in earlier times.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Ell, Neeritter, Neer, Ittervoort, Kelpen-Oler, Haelen, Buggenum, Hunsel.
Go to the main travel overview: Leudal.
