"Go Mountain Climbing!" Top 5 Page for this destination Maastricht Off The Beaten Path Tip by johngayton

For an interesting day out from Maastricht a visit to the Netherlands' highest point of Vaalsberg is a must do. OK It's not really a mountain at 322 (and a bit) metres but the sheer novelty value of mountain-climbing in what is otherwise an almost totally flat country makes for a bit of fun.

There's no need to pack your ropes, pitons and crampons though as the ascent from the nearby town of Vaals is a gentle 2 km stroll even if you take the steepest walking route.

From the summit you get great views not just over the Netherlands but also Germany and Belgium as coincidentally the hilltop is also the point where the three countries meet. So not only can you visit the highest point but can also add two more countries to your travel pages at the same time.

At the top there's a couple of restaurants, a pair of overlook towers (if you want to get even higher), a kids play area, a VVV tourist office/souvenir shop and some interesting-looking hiking trails.

To get to Vaalserberg from Maastricht the #50 (I think) bus runs every 20 minutes or so from the main bus station to Vaals (which takes about 30 minutes). From Vaals walk uphill to the south along Kerkstraat (??) and follow the signs for Drielanerpunt.

The best value bus ticket is the "Dagkaart" which costs (July 2010) 5.50 Euros and is valid on all Limburg services for the day (including into Aachen). If you don't fancy the walk up I think there's also an hourly bus from Vaals up to Vaalserberg for which your day ticket is also valid.

Another interesting little stop-off on the route is the small town of Gulpen, best known for its Gulpener brewery, which has a couple of good cafe bars and is a pleasant little town in its own right too.