Villas in Belgisch Limburg

Kinrooi suits cycling and lake swimming on the Maas, Voeren suits hill walks near Maastricht, and Meeuwen-Gruitrode has heathland. Belgian Limburg is the flat, green north-east of Belgium, and Voeren is a hilly outpost cut off from the rest of the province. Most of our holiday homes are in Kinrooi, so choice elsewhere is limited.

Where

Villas: 22
From, per week: £943
Cheapest month: November
Nearest airports: Brussels, around an hour from London, is an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half from most houses. Eindhoven is around 45 minutes from Kinrooi. Many people take the Eurostar to Brussels and hire a car, or drive from Calais, which takes around three to three and a half hours.

Where to stay in Belgisch Limburg

Kinrooi and the Maas lakes

Kinrooi has most of our Belgian Limburg holiday homes. The municipality runs along the Maas, here called the Grensmaas because it forms the border with the Netherlands. East of Kessenich, lakes left by gravel digging have become nature areas, with swimming spots, sailing and birdwatching. Signposted cycle routes follow the river. Brussels airport is around an hour and a quarter by car, and Eindhoven around 45 minutes.

Best for: Families who want cycling, lake swimming and water sports

Not for you if: You want hills or forest walks: the Maas valley is flat and open.

Kinrooi for Maaseik and Thorn

Kinrooi's villages are well placed for two small historic towns. Maaseik, around 15 minutes south, has a large market square lined with old houses and cafes. Thorn, just over the border in Dutch Limburg, is known as the white town for its whitewashed brick houses around a former abbey church. Roermond, with its large designer outlet, is around 20 minutes north-east.

Best for: Day trips to old border towns by bike

Not for you if: You need a station nearby: the closest are across the border in the Netherlands.

Voeren (the Voer valley)

Voeren is a small Flemish area of six villages, cut off from the rest of the province, with rolling hills, orchards and the valleys of the Voer and Gulp. A signposted network of around 125 km of footpaths links castles such as Altembrouck and Sinnich, and the highest point in Flanders is near Remersdaal. Maastricht is around 20 minutes away. Liège and Maastricht Aachen airports are both close, but have few flights from the UK.

Best for: Walkers who want hills, orchards and half-timbered farms

Not for you if: You want to be near the rest of Belgian Limburg: Voeren is separated from it by the Netherlands and Wallonia.

Teuven (the Gulp valley)

Teuven is one of the eastern Voeren villages, set in the upper Gulp valley among meadows and woods. The castle of Hof de Draeck stands in the village, and the walking routes connect to the rest of Voeren. Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany meet at Vaals, around 20 minutes east, and Aachen is about half an hour away. Brussels airport is roughly an hour and a half by car.

Best for: Couples who want a quiet village base near three countries

Not for you if: You want shops and restaurants on the doorstep: Teuven is a hamlet-sized village.

Meeuwen-Gruitrode (Hoge Kempen)

Meeuwen and Gruitrode, now part of the merged municipality of Oudsbergen, lie on the edge of the Hoge Kempen National Park, more than 12,000 hectares of pine forest, purple heath and old sand and gravel pits. The open-air museum at Bokrijk and the former coal mine at C-mine in Genk are both around half an hour away. Brussels airport is about an hour and a quarter by car.

Best for: Heathland walks, mountain biking and pine woods

Not for you if: You want a river or lake view: this is a wooded, sandy upland.

When to go to Belgisch Limburg

May, June and September are the best months for cycling and walking, with long days and quieter paths. July and August are the Belgian and Dutch school holidays, when the Maas lakes and the Voeren footpaths are at their busiest. The heather in the Hoge Kempen flowers from August into early September. Orchards in Voeren blossom in April. Winters are grey and damp but mild, and the towns and museums stay open.