Riverpark Maasvallei and Maasplassen

The Landscape

The Rivierpark Maasvallei is a diverse river landscape along the meandering Maas River, where water and nature continuously shape each other. Wide river arms, mudflats, floodplains, and flower-rich grasslands alternate with patches of woodland and wild nature. Old dikes and meanders bear witness to the centuries-old interaction between people and the river. The Rivierpark Maasvallei stretches from Maastricht to Thorn along the Maas. The ‘White Village’ Thorn was once a small principality ruled by women. Today, it is an idyllic town with typical streets and alleys paved with Maas cobblestones, featuring striking white-painted houses and historic buildings.

The Maasplassen form an extensive network of large and small lakes created by large-scale gravel extraction in the Maas valley. Together they make up the largest connected watersports area in the Netherlands, offering over 3000 hectares of water fun. Most of the Maasplassen lie within the municipalities of Maasgouw and Roermond. Around the clear waters, a varied landscape unfolds, featuring recreational beaches, grasslands, thickets, diverse forests and small islands. Along the shores, open water areas alternate with marshy reed beds and sheltered nature reserves where countless water birds breed.