In April 2022, my husband Rob and I took a trip to the Netherlands. This is our second blog about travelling in the Netherlands with a wheelchair. This blog includes where we stayed and the places that we visited. However, there is much more to see! Please leave comments below about your visit to the south of the Netherlands to help others plan their accessible experience!
To learn more about visiting Amsterdam with a wheelchair, and to find out information about flying to the Netherlands and using the trains, go to our Amsterdam in a Wheelchair blog. To find contact details and other useful information from our blogs in one place so that you can plan your own trip to the Netherlands, go to the Netherlands Travel Plan.
Limburg
The province of Limburg is worth a visit. It is known for its beautiful and varied landscape, its food, and beer. It also has its own language called Limburgish, which is related to Dutch and German, but different enough to cause both Dutch and Limburgish to be on the same street signs!
We had friends living in a town called Jabeek (Joabik in Limburgish), so we spent a fair amount of time there.
Sittard
We began our journey by arriving at the Sittard train station. Another option would have been to take the train directly to Maastricht, the capital of Limburg. We travelled to Maastricht by car a few days after arriving in Sittard and found the look and feel quite different than Amsterdam.
When we arrived at Sittard, a train attendant was waiting with a ramp for us. We had friends picking us up from the train station. If we could not have relied on the generosity of our friends, we would have ordered an accessible taxi ahead of time or rented a car.
Sittard has a small historic city centre with numerous architectural monuments, including several old churches monasteries and a few half-timbered houses. The central market square has many restaurants and bars.
Where we stayed – the accessible cottage
We found a lovely little cottage called B&B ‘t Molleke in a small village called Doenrade. Staying here elevated the Limburg experience to another level!
The main bedroom and bathroom are on the ground floor, making it easily accessible. The main floor also has a large walk-in shower. The cottage was very functional and comfortable.
One challenge was that the driveway consists of pea gravel. We were able to manage the walker over it to get to a car, but if we stay there again, I will ask the owner if she could but a piece of plywood over the pea gravel for accessibility from a vehicle to the cottage.
The kitchen had all of the cookware needed to cook a nice dinner. We even had pizza delivered there for a nice evening in.
The countryside around the cottage is beautiful and peaceful. There are fields and paths about a 5 minute walk away. The paths are hard packed and support a wheelchair. We were able to walk/roll to Jabeek with nature and the occasional house around us. Even on a gloomy day, it was worth the effort.
Places to Visit in Limburg
Maastricht
Maastricht is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. It is beside the border to Belgium and has a population of almost 4 million. The city was developed from a Roman settlement and today is a thriving cultural and regional hub. It is the birthplace of the Euro!
As the Dutch do, we spent most of our time outside even though it was cold and wet.
A popular place to visit is the Vrijthof, a large urban square in the centre of the city. The Vrijthof is about a 6 minute taxi ride from the Maastricht train station . The square is regularly used for public events and has outdoor restaurants with good accessibility. Just check with the restaurant you want to eat at has an accessible washroom. One popular outdoor concert is by the famous Dutch violinist Andre Rieu. His concert dates can be found at his website here.
The Vrijthof is home to the famous church called the Sint Janskerk, whose red tower makes it a striking landmark. The Sint Janskerk dates from the 13th century.
During our visit, we drove by car to a less travelled area of Maastricht and parked in a public parking area near a popular local square called Onze Lieve Vrouweplein (Our Dear Lady Square). We situated ourselves at a table and enjoyed a drink. We were able to find an accessible washroom at a restaurant nearby.
After our drink, we walked around for a couple of hours. Pushing the wheelchair through the streets was not difficult and we were able to get to where we wanted to go. Even in the cold, there were many people sitting outside at restaurants. The Dutch say that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.
We did not spend very much time in Maastricht, but it is definitely worth another visit!
Aachen
On another day, we drove into nearby Germany to the ancient town of Aachen. There are many different options for parking. We were able to find a spot in a parking garage near the center.
This town was also developed from a Roman settlement. It became the preferred medieval residence of Emperor Charlemagne, who built the Aachen Cathedral in 798 AD. We decided to not go in and enjoyed walking around the outside instead. The Aachen Cathedral does suggest barrier-free access. Wheelchair users are asked to ring the bell at the entrance of the Cathedral to get assistance. If you would like to learn more, check out their website.
The local speciality of Aachen is a type of soft, sweet bread, baked in large flat loaves, called Aachener Printen. Unlike Lebkuchen, a German form of gingerbread sweetened with honey, Printen is sweetened with a syrup made from sugar. Printen shops can be found everywhere along the side streets leading from the Aachen Cathedral and worth a try.
Aachener Café Haus
One shop that we found for a coffee and dessert was called the Aachener Café Haus. It was not very busy and we were able to find a table inside. There was an elevator that can fit an averaged size wheelchair including to a reach bathroom.
It was fascinating to walk around such an old town like Aachen. I was able to push Rob in the wheelchair, but some areas were a bit hilly.
Eating in Sittard
On our last night, we drove back to Sittard and headed to the main square for our last meal in the Netherlands.
Ich en Dich
We approached a few restaurants lining the square and found that most were not suitably accessible to enter or did not have accessible washrooms. The weather was cold and rainy, and on a nice day, there would be restaurant tables that are accessible in the square. Extra care would be needed to find an accessible washroom. We ended up finding a table on the patio at the restaurant Ich en Dich. There were a couple of shallow steps to get into the restaurant, and once there, there was a main floor bathroom. The dinner was good with a good variety of beers to try. A typical Dutch sandwich that we had there is the Sandwich Gezond (“G” pronounced like an “H”, and the “d” pronounced like a “t”), which is the Dutch version a grilled ham and cheese. We had great service and a terrific time.
Beer
I could not resist mentioning the beer! There is a wide variety, each with its own glass. Below is a sampling of what we tried.
There is much to discover in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. Places we will explore next time include Valkenburg and Roermond.
Please share your experiences of your accessible journey to Limburg in the comments below!
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