Fiets- en wandelroute Rondje Groeves

EuroParcs Brunssummerheide
Attracties

Le Jardin de Pauline
Attracties

Camping Hitjesvijver
Accommodaties

EuroParcs Brunssummerheide
Accommodaties

Steenberg
Bezienswaardigheden

Groeve Beaujean-Quaedvlieg
Bezienswaardigheden

St. Barbara-kapelletje
Bezienswaardigheden

Oranje-Nassau IV

Graaf Johan Frederik van Schaesberg

Transportband

Bruinkoolweg

Heksenberg

Groeve Sibelco

Kasteel Schaesberg

Kasteel Meezenbroek

Noordplas

Sterrenwacht Brunssummerheide

EuroParcs Brunssummerheide Zwemvijver

Fiets- en wandelroute Rondje Groeves
The Parkstad region has a rich history of mining, both above and underground. Silver sand mining has been taking place in the region since the early 20th century. Discover a unique part of Parkstad during this 8 km walking or cycling route! Let yourself be taken past 8 impressive rest and viewpoints in beautiful nature and learn more about the raw materials under your feet.
Rest and viewpoints
Along the way you will have every opportunity to reflect on the highlights of this tour. The appearance and shape of the rest and lookout points subtly refer to the machines that were needed for silver sand extraction, for example. Various original machine parts were used during construction. The industrial character of the viewpoints therefore forms a beautiful and lasting memory of mineral extraction.
The route of almost 8 km crosses the Parkstad route at 2 points, which will be ready from mid-2024. You can also easily switch to another cycling route via the junctions. The route is signposted on the asphalt with the quarry print.
Discover the underground treasures of Parkstad
Parkstad Limburg is rich in natural resources. In addition to gravel, sand, clay and loess, coal, brown coal and silver sand are present at various depths in the soil. Much has been achieved, especially in the last hundred years. Literally the whole of eastern South Limburg was completely overhauled for this! The bumps and holes in the landscape of Parkstad Limburg show exactly where the various raw materials have been or are still being extracted and are therefore inextricably linked to the industrial heritage of the region.
Silver sand: an important mineral
Silver sand, quartz sand or white sand is a fine-grained, white and pure sand with a low iron content. In Limburg, silver sand occurs in the geological Ville Formation (10-20 million years old) from the Miocene; a time when this place was still completely under the water of the North Sea. Silver sand consists almost entirely of quartz (SiO2) and is used, for example, in the high-quality glass industry and fine ceramic industry, as a raw material for enamel and porcelain. In the chemical industry and foundries, sand is used as a raw material for heat-resistant materials. Silver sand is also used in electronic applications, fiber optics, solar cells, semiconductors, detergents, abrasives and adhesives.
Rich in brown coal
In the soil of this area, silver sand alternates with brown coal and coal. The lignite consists of plant remains (peat) and other organic components that have been exposed to high pressure and heat for millions of years. Lignite contains a lot of sulphur, which makes burning brown coal smelly and is also bad for the environment. In modern lignite power stations, such as in Germany, sulfur emissions are therefore largely filtered out, so that they do not end up in the air. However, CO2 emissions remain significantly higher than from a comparable power plant that runs on coal or gas.
From lignite to coal
The third important mineral in this area is coal, which originated in the geological period of the Westphalia (about 300 million years ago, during the Carboniferous). Coal is formed when lignite is exposed to high(er) pressure and temperature for a longer period of time and is a reasonably pure form of carbon. In the coal deposits, the prints of the fossil plants and trees from which the mineral originated are sometimes still visible! If you expose coal to high pressure and temperature for even longer, anthracite and eventually graphite will gradually form. At even higher pressures, diamonds could even be formed!