Modern Grand Tour trail in a nutshell

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• Length: 919 km (571 miles).
• Start/end: Optional but we chose Maastricht to Maastricht.
• Highest point is 694 m (2.276 ft) in stage 29. at Signal de Botrange (BE).
• Lowest point is 23 m at the banks of the river Meuse (NL).
• Oldest city of the Netherlands: Maastricht (Trajectum ad Mosam) and Heerlen (Coriovallum)
  Oldest city of Belgium: Tongeren (Atuatucae Tongrorum).
• Oldest wine castle in Belgium: Genoels-Elderen castle in Riemst. Wine was already produced in this region during Roman times. Nowadays, the white Chardonnay and blue Pinot Noir grapes are grown here.
• In Bokrijk (BE), a new experience recently opened: A walking path through the water; 212 meters through a pond in the unique nature park “The Wijers” . You can see, feel, smell the water and even touch it … without getting wet.
• Water sources: The Wijngaardsberg is the water source of the stream Watervalderbeek; Meerssen (NL), Village Melen is the water source of the Ruisseau de Melen (BE), Water source Saint-Lambertus is the start of the stream the Noor and Voer; Castle Altenbroek (BEL), Water source Saint-Brigida is the start of the stream Noor; Noorbeek (NL), Henri-Chapelle is the water source of the stream Gulp (BEL), Henri-Chapelle is the water source of the stream La Berwinne (BEL).
• Countries you will be visiting: Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.
• Vineyards: Domein De Wijngaardsberg; Ulestraten (NL), Clos d’Opleeuw; Gors (BE)).
• Rivers: Geleenbeek, Rode beek, Dorpsbeek (Genk), Meuse, L’Ourthe, La Vesdre, Worm and the Geul, Rur.
• Streams: Watervalderbeek, Anstelerbeek,Geleenbeek, La Ruisseau de Melen, Rau de Bolland, Noor, Voer, Gulp, Ruisseau de Bayehon, La Statte,La Höegne, Vesdre (=Weser), Rur, Helle, Getz, Keker (=Geer), Vicht, Inde, Demer, Caumer, Wurm, Merzbach.
• In Tongeren the Gallo-Roman Museum, chosen in 2011 as European Museum of the Year.
• Woods: Vliekerbos, Aambos, Kaffebergbos, Rimburger Wald.
• Roman roads: Via Belgica, Via Regia, Via Mosana, Via Monastica, Via Limburgica, Via Brabantica, Via Gallia Belgica, Via Thiérache, Via Gulia.
• Other walking trails you pass: Pieterspad, Jacobspad, 7 Mountains.
• Reservoirs/dam’s: Anstelerbeek (the only one in the Netherlands), Wesetalsperre, Lac de la Gilepppe, La Warche/Stausee Warche, Butgenbacher See, Rursee, Weherbachtalsperre
• Monuments: de IJzeren Molen; Rothem, Ancient farm Wijngaardsberghof, Church Sint-Remigiuskerk; Schimmert.
• Chapels: Vredes kapel; Meerssen, Centenkapel; Ulestraten, Lourdeskapel; Genzon, Sint-Rochuskapel; Klein Haasdal.
• Parks: Hoge Fronten; Maastricht, Proosdijpark; Meerssen.
• Churches: Sint Servaas basiliek; Maastricht, het Heilig Hart van Jezuskerk; Rothem, Basiliek van het Heilig Sacrement; Meerssen, Sint-Remigiuskerk; Schimmert.
• Monasters: Kloosterkerk Zusters onder de Bogen, Priorij Regina Pacis (Valkenburg), Partij, Lemiers, Wahlwiller, Kluis (Valkenburg).
• 25 Castles: kasteel Vaeshartelt, kasteel De Bockenhof; Groot Haasdal, kasteel Terworm, kasteel Eyckholt, Schloss Rimburg, Kasteel Vliek; Ulestraten, Altenbroek.
• 62 municipalties: Maastricht (NL), Meerssen(NL), Valkenburg aan de Geul(NL), Voerendaal(NL), Heerlen (NL), Kerkrade(NL), Herzogenrath (DE), Übach-Palenberg (DE), Landgraaf (NL), Brunssum (NL), Schinnen (NL), Sittard-Geleen (NL), Stein (NL), Dilsen-Stokkem(NL), Maasmechelen (BE), Genk (BE), Zutendaal(BE), Hasselt(BE), Kortessem(BE), Tongeren (BE), Herstappe(BE), Juprelle (BE), Liège (BE), Beyne-Heusay (BE), Chaudfontaine (BE), Trooz (BE), Pepinster (BE), Verviers (BE), Dison (BE), Herve (BE), Soumagne (BE), Aubel (BE), Voeren (BE), Plombières (BE), Kelmis (BE), Raeren (BE), Lontzen (BE), Welkenraedt (BE), Thimister-Clermont (BE), Dison (BE), Limbourg (BE), Baelen (BE), Eupen (BE), Jalhay (BE), Spa (BE), Stavelot (BE), Mallmedy (BE), Waimes(BE), Butgenbach (BE) , Monschau (DE), Simmerath (DE), Heimbach (DE), Nideggen (DE), Hürtgenwald (DE), Stolberg (DE), Stadt Aachen (DE), Vaals (NL), Gulpen-Wittem (NL), Simpelveld (NL), Eijsden-Margraten (NL), Bassenge (BE) and Riemst (BE).
• The MGT has been designed over many years and finshed in December 2021.
• Twitter: @modern_the, Facebook group: Participants of the Modern Grand trail in the Euregio Meuse-Rhine (Push Invite), Instagram: walk_tmgt

Did you know?

The 44 stages features over 24.923 meters (81.578 ft) of ascent and descent, the equivalent of scaling the mountain Elbroes 4 times (Elbroes is the highest mountain of Europe with 5.642 meters).