"Watertown and Beertown" Gulpen by johngayton

When I noticed the Gulpener brewery as my bus from Maastricht to Vaals passed it I reckoned I should make time for a visit to the town on my return trip.

This was where my Veolia South Limburg bus dayticket (dagkaart) came in useful as I could stop off wherever and then get a later bus onwards.

I arrived too late to visit the brewery and unfortunately its taphouse was closed on Mondays but I did have time for a wander and to sample the local product at one of the other bars in the town.

I was impressed with this little place which actually nestles in the valley of the River Gulp - there's not many places in the Netherlands sited in valleys! The town itself is neat and well-kept and instead of the usual canals for drainage and flood control there's all sorts of water features and fountains scattered around.

The fountain pictured is one of a series of interlinked sculptures which runs cross-wise through the town centre. This seems to be fed by a stream running down from the hills in the background. The flow commences from the fish's mouth on the dam before entering this pool.

The Fountains

From here it gets fed underground before reappearing in a series of flower bedecked fountains at the end of which is a spigot which discharges it along an open runnel into the river.

Beer Feature

With its abundance of free-flowing fresh water it's no surprise that the town has a brewery. The Gulpener brewery was opened in 1825 and is now in the fourth generation of the original family.

They brew quite a large variety of styles of beer and use mostly the produce from local farms. The standard pilsner (which is the only one I've tried so far) is clean, sharp and refreshing and their other beers get good reviews from the various beer sites.

• Pros:Home To Its Eponymous Brewery
• Cons:The Brewery Taphouse Was Shut
• In a nutshell:It Could Be Improved If They Supplied The Water Features With Beer!