Kasteeltuin Oud-Valkenburg, Limburg Province, The Netherlands
4.5 (17 reviews) Spent 1-2 hours Ranking #2 in Schin op Geul Gardens
A delightful garden for people, birds, insects, herbs, vegetables, wild flowers and local history
This was once the old kitchen garden of the castle. Now not really a single garden but many small habitat areas, this is a community garden and old working water-mill managed by knowledgeable volunteers who will tell you about the history of the garden, the mill, the heritage plants in the vegetable garden, the special things to see or just let you walk around to watch the dragonflies on the tiny pond and admire the wild flowers in the different habitats. It combines perfectly with a visit to the orchid reserve nearby when that is open. Intended largely for teaching about nature and local communities, this also succeeds in being a wonderful garden in which to spend a few quiet hours. Perhaps the best Heemtuin (a type of Botanical Garden devoted primarily to the local flora and fauna) we have yet seen.
Address
Oud Valkenburg 1, 6305 AA Schin op Geul The Netherlands
Mobile
Current local date and time now
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 20:52
User Ratings
4.5 based on (17 reviews)
Reviews
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4Wouter D 5:00 PM Jul 29, 2017
Great location to walk and relax (with baby)
Very nice garden to walk around with a baby. Today, there was an event with lots of activities: making honey, creating wooden sculptures and pottery, making (and eating) the typical sweet, vlaai. Next to the garden,you have a nice view on the castle. And you can make a very nice walk along the Geul, the local river. We spent the whole afternoon. Very nice.
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4Pannekoek77 5:00 PM Jun 12, 2017
Beautiful castle garden with water mill
A hidden gem located close to the entrance of Kasteel Schaloen, this botanical garden introduces the visitor to the native plants, flowers, herbs and field crops in the region. We were greeted at the entrance by a friendly, helpful couple. It is a beautiful garden, well-maintained. The entrance fee was 4 euros per person. There is a map of the castle garden at the entrance. We bought a small guidebook (in Dutch) but the owners took the time to give a short introduction at the start. It was interesting to learn that some of the plants there had edible stems and leaves (not the normal vegetables you can find in the supermarket). There is a Notarisappel tree as well, a well-known Dutch apple variety in the 20th century. Along the garden route, you will find orchards, vegetable gardens, a stone hut with marlstone/limestone, weather station, herb gardens, water mill, birdhouses, apiary (bee yard), meadows, farmyard, observation post, water cultures, ''ínsect hotel'' and more. The castle garden is a wonderful place to explore, relax and enjoy the sights, smells and sounds. For those who want to learn how to identify plants, the plants are labelled (plant names are in Dutch with the scientific name/Latin name below). There are signboards with interesting facts on the local flora and fauna as well as historical information in Dutch. We had a great time there. At the end of the visit, I gained a better appreciation for nature, a deeper understanding of those who work hard to maintain farms, orchards and tend to gardens.
