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3 – day trip to 3 countries (NL – BE – DE)

(CHANGE OF) PLANS


Following our week-long trip to Normandy described in my last blog editions, we returned to Rotterdam to cater food and music at a birthday party in Schiedam for our friends Rik and Maya. Still, we had a few days left of vacation and a bug to hit the road again. So we made a plan.


This plan was to explore Limburg in the south of the Netherlands. We looked for affordable options for accommodation, but our online booking filters offered us properties just across the border in Belgium at substantially lower prices. We figured we could stay there as our base.


We found a private studio on Airbnb in a farmhouse in Raeren, available for exactly the dates we were seeking. We had no idea about the area besides some photos and a few nice reviews.


AND WE’RE OFF


Early in the morning, we made our way south to Belgium in our rented car. At around 250 kilometers, our journey was not too long. So having some extra time, we chose two stops along our route.


Our first stop, near Bergen op Zoom in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant (North Brabant), was the trench bridge called the Moses Bridge (Mozesbrug), and the nearby 25-meter-high watchtower, Pompejus Tower, both located at the historic Fort de Roovere.

It was peculiar walking across the bridge below water level while staying dry! Climbing 129 steps up to the tower, you are rewarded with a view of the Fort de Roovere, Halsteren and other surrounding villages.


We resumed our route, now in the direction of a pair of towns we were most curious about – two separate municipalities of two different countries, entwined with each other, Baarle-Nassau (in the Netherlands) and Baarle-Hertog (Belgium).


THE BAARLES


Baarle-Hertog is located entirely within Dutch North Brabant, although is a Flemish municipality and a part of Antwerp. There are 22 enclaves of this Belgian town inside Baarle Nassau, which is in the Netherlands.


There are also several counter-enclaves of Baarle-Nassau within some of the little pieces of Baarle-Hertog. Perplexed? There is even a tiny piece of Baarle-Nassau inside the main part of Belgium. Just walking around is a bit confusing. One minute you are in Belgium and next, you are in the Netherlands. Some houses even have a border going through them. When at one time, the borders were redrawn, one elderly Belgium lady found herself suddenly living in the Netherlands. As it is the front door that determines the country of residence, she wound up switching it to the other side of her entry, still in Belgium. This way she could return to living in Belgium rather than the Netherlands.

Even our short stroll from a municipal parking lot to a lunch spot was criss – crossed with borders – two of them within a five-minute walk. We found ourselves back in the Netherlands, across the street from Belgium, having a Belgian beer in a Dutch café. We had tasty tuna sandwiches with fries at Coffee Corner ‘t Singeltje. The service was friendly, the menu was inviting, the food was fresh.


EN ROUTE TO RAEREN


Leaving Baarle Hertog (or was it Baarle-Nassau?), driving through Belgium/Netherlands/Belgium/Netherlands ad infinitum, we were were finally on our way to Raeren in the German-speaking part of eastern Belgium. We had three nights booked at Tobias’s lovely property in Raeren, named Auberge “Zur dicken Marie” (to fat Marie) in honor of one of their lovely Zwartbles sheep. It is a big building, each apartment with its own private access. They have another apartment right across, where they live, and share the beautiful garden in between us. The studio we stayed in was beautifully appointed, quiet and relaxing, with a green view of the farmland, the sheep, ducks and chickens. The next day the owner gifted us with four fresh eggs from his hens. Incredible!


AACHEN


After having a delicious eggy breakfast, we headed not to Dutch Limburg but to Charlemagne’s Aachen, just a dozen kilometers away across the other border in Germany. Philippe found there was a park and ride option to reach the city center, making our arrival very easy.


We walked across the center, exploring some kitchen supply stores on the way, before arriving at the weekly market in front of the Elisenbrunnen building. Market day is Tuesday (7am till 2pm, also Thursdays at the town hall, plus a completely organic market Saturdays on the Münsterplatz). There was a long queue for the delicious fried potato pancakes called Reibekuchen. We waited. It was worth it.


Printen are a type of Christmas gingerbread from Aachen, although produced throughout the region. This led to a funny misunderstanding, as we saw so many shops advertising printen in Aachen as well as in Raeren. We wondered why the region would have so many print shops. As it happens, originally Aachener printen were made with wooden molds which would in fact print designs of saints on the biscuits. A sweet print shop. Lastly we paid a visit to the Aachen Cathedral, Germany’s first Unesco World Heritage Site (1978), and one of the most important places of pilgrimage, along with Jerusalem, Rome and Santiago de Compostela. It was commissioned by Charlemagne, the king of the Franks and the “father of Europe,” who is also buried on the site. This beautiful cathedral is elaborately ornamented in mosaics and gold.


Aachen is well worth a visit, and even repeated visits. It is welcoming, diverse and lively. On the way back from Aachen, after picking up the car, we stopped at the Aldi Süd supermarket the German side of the border and did some grocery shopping for our short stay.

Top tip: the selection at Aldi here is leagues better than at those in the Netherlands, at prices as much as 50% lower.


MONSCHAU


The next morning, our curiosity took us again not to Limburg but once more into Germany, to the painting-picturesque town of Monschau in Eifel region.

Entering the town, we parked and visited the Historic Mustard Mill, a must when in Monschau. By luck we arrived just in time for a guided tour. In German. We did our best. So did the tour guide, who kindly
offered some explanation in English. The mill was built in 1882 and was originally powered by a waterwheel. They have 22 varieties of mustard that you can taste and buy at their store. The ticket to the workshop was 8€ per person. The mill has been family-owned for generations, with Ruth Breuer at the helm. We bought an inordinate amount of mustard to take back home. We chose red currant, honey, and ginger, as well as a pot of the original recipe and a coarse-ground imperial mustard.

That, plus a bottle of amazing, fresh mustard oil, and we were good to go. The shop also offers sausages, jams, honey, cheeses and an exceptional variety of oils and fruity vinegars, not to mention an extensive selection of
wines and spirits. Adjoining the mill is the well-reviewed Schnabuleum restaurant (we did not try it).


Trying the local mustard soup is essential. We had a light lunch of this soup followed by potato dumplings with chanterelles in a cream-herb sauce at Café Thelen, accompanied by a pair of solid German beers. The café also offered the traditional warm apple strudel with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.


We like driving around and getting a bit lost, away from the crowds and choosing the longest route to get back. We were glad we did that as we found a marvellous hidden garden café called Grünentaal.

We both had coffee. One chose cheesecake and the other, a gooseberry cake made from fresh wild berries. It was so delicious! They make very tasty looking pizzas on the premises. The service was sweet and the surroundings serene. The café is located on a hiking and biking trail. People stop here for a break. Maybe they stay longer than planned. We did.


THREE LANDS, AND HOMEWARD BOUND


On our last day, we reluctantly drove away from this lovely region, a happy discovery for us. Before making our way home, we made one last stop at the Drielandenpunt, the exact point of convergence for three countries – Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.


We never made it to Limburg. That will have to wait until our next trip.

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