Close to Maastricht are a few areas, which seem to have escaped to the stress of modern society. There you will still find a peace of mind and room for nature, though to a limited extent, because the dimensions of those areas are not great. About 5 kms. east of Maastricht lies Bemelen, in a valley at the edge of what is called the "Plateau of Margraten", an area extending between roughly Maastricht, Berg, Sibbe, Margraten and Gronsveld. Lovely villages are Bemelen, Terblijt and Klein-Welsden. The Bemelerberg is a beautiful nature area. Being threatened during many decades by the excavations of marl stone, the area has maintained much of its original character. The danger has not yet come to a halt however. Hamlets like 't Rooth and Gasthuis, where the marl stone eating monsters have approached the houses very close, are still threatened. Gasthuis harbours several stately farm houses and can be called unique for South Limburg. Close by lies Tienhoven mill, one of the few wind mills in the area. Yet further lies the monumental farm castle of Sibbe. More to the south lie Klein- and Groot-Welsden, hamlets where time seems to have come to a halt. The area is primarily agricultural. Also there lies the Schiepersberg, where marl stone caves lie hidden in a small strip of wood. Crossing the old rijksweg to Vaals lie the hamlets of Honthem and Bruisterbosch, with some monumental farms.
This sub-gallery is dedicated to rural Bemelen and surrounding area. Upon ascending the Bemelerberg, the picturesque hamlet of Gasthuis becomes visible: a collection of century old farmhouses. Close to the village of Berg, the hamlet of Terblijt is located, within a valley leading towards Bemelen. Here one also finds a number of ancient farmhouses pitched in the middle of the agricultural landscape. In the village of Sibbe, on the edge of the plateau of Margraten (not far from Valkenburg), lies a beautiful farm castle; this still has the remainder of a drive-way, in the form of a gateway made from marlstone. Klein-Welsden is located close to Margraten. Here one finds again some ancient farmhouses. A timber-framed farmhouse cottage, restored by Ton's cousin, has been a thankful and wonderful subject for photosessions. Bruisterbosch, which belongs to Margraten, is located close to Cadier en Keer. The hamlet has a few big farmhouses and the area has much agriculture. The village Scheulder is situated on the plateau, somewhere between Sibbe and Margraten. There are several beautiful farmhouses, the village center is caracteristic for South Limburg.
Before viewing the pictures please check the contrast adjustment on your monitor. You can use my test strip below which I have designed for this purpose. For best viewing, use a gamma value of 2.2 and set the contrast control mode in a position until each individual black and white square (16 in total) is visible.