Maaseik is not only a beautiful town on the banks of the Meuse, but Maaseik is also the perfect destination for the family! With a rich history, three national parks that meet here and plenty of good food, Maaseik has something for everyone. Maaseik, truly the land of the good life.
Did you know that the good life is a real thing in Maaseik? The four virtues of the Maaseik native are being bald, lazy, fond of good food and proud. In other words, knowing exactly what the good life is.
In this blog I take you on a journey to this beautiful border town where they know how to enjoy life.
Three national parks
Maaseik is extremely rich in varied landscapes thanks to its location at the crossroads of three national parks. The Maasvallei, Hoge Kempen and Kempen-Broek. So if you head to Maaseik with your family, you can be sure you'll see plenty of natural beauty.
You could spend weeks here on walks and bike rides. We chose a 23-kilometre family cycling route that passes through many different landscapes. An old railway line, a coal path, cycle highways, meadows, fields, streams, the canal, woods, a playground, an old mill and lots of special picnic spots.
In itself it's not such a long ride, but with all the lovely spots along the way you can easily spend a whole day on this route.
Be sure to bring a picnic, or earn your first lazy-and-tasty points by simply ordering a picnic from Melk en Suiker. They provide very generous backpacks full of the most delicious snacks and drinks. Easy and tasty.
For convenience, we rented electric bikes from Fiets -en Vespaverhuur Maro. That's simply reassuring, because they stay on stand-by in case anything happens.
Hot Spot walk in Maaseik town centre
Maaseik is a beautiful historic town with an impressive town square and genuine town walls still standing. Its history goes back to Roman times. It was once an important trading post and has seen various influences over the centuries. The centre still breathes the atmosphere of days gone by with its beautiful buildings and cobbled streets. Maaseik is also the birthplace of the Van Eyck brothers, who even got their own statue on the market square.
Naturally, all that history has also produced a rich culinary heritage. Something that's generally striking about Limburg, by the way. Maaseik feels more traditional, with its own wines, craft beers and cheeses, the famous Maaseik knapkoek and, not to forget, the chocolates from Bonaparte.
Reasons enough to head to Maaseik town centre with the family and enjoy a bit more of the good life there.
You can pick up the Hot Spot walk at the tourist office. It starts on the market square, so you can get acquainted with the local cafés straight away while you study the map. Or you can grab a nice takeaway coffee from Melk & Suiker.
The Hot Spot walk takes you past some fascinating artworks and monuments, but also the natural part of the Meuse where you can see wild horses and cows. Because the Meuse is a rain-fed river, in dry periods you can even see them right in the middle of the river.
A delightful town walk for our teenagers, by the way. Lots of variety, not too far and all sorts of things to do.
The Marina and the Maasplassen
After our Hot Spot walk we headed down for a lazy lunch at the Côte d’ Azur of Maaseik. The marina!
You pass vineyards, the river Meuse and several lakes before finally arriving at the marina. Here we had lunch at the Maasnimf, a gorgeous terrace overlooking the Meuse and the boats.
We had a delicious lunch there and drank a few cocktails. It's also a lovely spot for dinner on lazy summer evenings.
That Burgundian lifestyle of Maaseik really suits me, I must say. In fact, I think we'd love to come back here for a whole day of water sports and swimming. With the trees and the cosy spots, it's ideal for a family outing.
Recharging at the Wouterbron
A true hidden gem! This wonderful natural swimming pool pumps 1 million litres of clean spring water into its pool every day. No chlorine or other chemical nasties. The water quality is checked regularly and is very good (as you can also tell from the tadpoles and little salamanders).
A lovely pool to enjoy with the family. The little ones can have fun in the paddling pool while the older ones can swim, jump off the diving board, paddleboard or row.
There's also a large terrace with tasty drinks and snacks.
What struck me most was its real retro vibe. Little white buildings and then the blue water. The Oeter flowing past and the cheerful little parasols.
The perfect place to round off our lazy family weekend.
Accommodation
This summer, Maaseik is all about enjoying time with your family. It also has some very family-friendly places to stay. Warredal is without doubt the best known. We've stayed here twice already and our children had a wonderful time in the climbing park, the adventure golf, the playground and horse riding.
This time we chose a unique place to stay. One where you can completely unwind in the beautiful nature of Maaseik. Den Bos!
This little house sits in the woods next to the canal. It's completely private with an enormous garden, a swing, a BBQ and games. Nearby is the Eilandje, where there's a summer bar but where you can also kayak or water-ski.
Maaseik really surprised us. Dead tired but content and happy, we drove home again. Even before our three children fell asleep in the car, the middle one said: “Mum, this was honestly the very best weekend.” The others agreed. Maaseik with the family … it really doesn't need to be more than that.
More info on what to do in Maaseik? Be sure to check the website of Toerisme Maaseik.
