Buchten lies on the Julianakanaal, and the history of its historic inland port offers another perspective on the town. Before your trip, consider whether you mainly want to explore the church and its history of remembrance or make the hike your main focus.

Catharina Church: Architecture and Remembrance

Catharina Church is a Dutch Rijksmonument, meaning a nationally protected monument. The building is a single-nave church made of marlstone, with a side aisle and a crypt, adjoining a medieval bell tower. St. Catharina Church also features a rare medieval church bell of the so-called pointed-hat type; it probably dates from the 12th or 13th century. Both the single-nave design and the bell offer distinct ways to understand the church: one describes the building, while the other is a single historic furnishing.

Catharina Church contains a memorial plaque for Settela Steinbach. She lived with her family in Buchten before Settela Steinbach and her family were deported to Westerbork. The plaque and her biography add the Steinbach family’s history of remembrance to the architectural perspective.

September Tradition

At St. Joseph Buchten, the King’s Shooting competition is traditionally held on the third Saturday in September. The king for the following season is chosen at the event. If this tradition is important to your travel plans, check the specific event date before you arrive. Unlike the topics of church and remembrance, the King’s Shooting competition takes place at a specific time: the key date is the third Saturday in September.

Circular Walk Through Buchten

A circular walk leads from the Martinuskerk in Born through Buchten and Holtum. In Buchten, the route includes a visit to the local church and its surroundings. It follows well-maintained paved roads and paths. The starting point matters when planning your day: the tour begins in Born, while the church visit is part of the route through Buchten. This lets you decide whether to visit Buchten as a destination in its own right or include it as part of a walk.

On the Julianakanaal and the Port’s Past

Buchten lies on the Julianakanaal. Walkers, cyclists and others enjoying the outdoors can use a public WML water point to get free drinking water. Outdoor water points may operate seasonally, so check whether the water point is open during your visit before setting out.

Those interested in the area’s economic past can explore its historic inland port, which was used to load coal from the Mijnstreek onto ships. The Born–Buchten transshipment port was connected to the railway network. Coal handling and the railway connection therefore offer another way to explore the town’s history, alongside the themes of church and remembrance.

Discover more destinations: Papenhoven, Born, Limbricht, Geleen, Sittard

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